How much do UK foster carers get paid per week in 2026/27?

The official GOV.UK 2026/27 National Minimum Fostering Allowance (NMA) for a child aged 11–15 is £227/wk (Rest of England), £255/wk (South East), and £266/wk (London), which covers child maintenance only. By contrast, Ofsted Good and Outstanding Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs) pay £465–£555/wk per child (Child Allowance plus a £220–£285/wk Professional Carer Fee), equivalent to a £28,736–£35,194/yr gross PAYE salary.

Do foster carers pay tax on fostering allowances and fees in the UK?

Under HMRC Helpsheet HS236 (Qualifying Care Relief, ITTOIA 2005 Part 7 Chapter 2), foster carers receive a fixed tax-free household allowance of £19,690 per year plus £415/week for each child under 11 and £495/week for each child aged 11 or over. For a single child aged 11+ over 52 weeks, £45,430 per year is 100% free of UK Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance.

Will my foster child be moved if I transfer to a new fostering agency?

No. Under Regulation 28(13) of The Fostering Services Regulations 2011 and Section 4.3 of The Fostering Network Transfer Protocol, the welfare and continuity of the child in placement is paramount. Approved foster carers can transfer to an Ofsted Good or Outstanding Independent Fostering Agency in approximately 28 days via a Simultaneous Panel Day while keeping their foster child safely in placement.

Are foster carers entitled to paid respite and mileage under the National Minimum Standards?

Under National Minimum Standard 21 (NMS 21.6 / 21.8), Regulation 17 of The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011, and the DfE Foster Carers' Charter, fostering providers must provide clear social work supervision, 24/7 out-of-hours support, and short-break/respite care. Top-rated IFAs guarantee 14–21 nights of paid respite per year plus 45p/mile tax-free travel expenses under NMS 28.1.

How much do Local Authorities pay Independent Fostering Agencies per placement?

In its Children's Social Care Market Study Final Report, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) reported that Local Authorities pay an average commissioning fee of £820/week for an Independent Fostering Agency placement (~£820–£910/week across 2026/27 regional frameworks), with average private IFA operating margins of 19.4%. High-paying Ofsted Good and Outstanding IFAs pass 58%–64% (£465–£555/week) directly to the foster household.

Are kinship and connected foster carers entitled to the same allowance as mainstream carers?

Yes. Under National Minimum Standard 30 (NMS 30) and statutory Family and Friends Care guidance, approved kinship (connected person) foster carers are legally entitled to at least the full age-related GOV.UK National Minimum Fostering Allowance (£227–£266/week for ages 11–15 in 2026/27) and the full £45,430/year HMRC Helpsheet HS236 tax-free ceiling.

2026/27 GOV.UK NMA & HMRC HS236 Benchmark · All 491 Ofsted-Registered Fostering Services

FosterCheck UK — 2026/27 Fostering Allowance Calculator, HMRC HS236 Tax-Free Ceiling & All 491 Ofsted Agencies

In its Children’s Social Care Market Study [3], the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) reported that Local Authorities pay an average commissioning fee of £820/wk for an agency placement (~£820–£910/wk across 2026/27 regional frameworks), while the statutory 2026/27 National Minimum Allowance [1] is £227–£266/wk (ages 11–15, child maintenance only). Ofsted Good and Outstanding Independent Fostering Agencies pay £465–£555/wk tax-free (Child Allowance + Professional Fee under HMRC Helpsheet HS236 [2] = £28,736–£35,194/yr gross PAYE salary equivalent [6]).

Why No Other Calculator Bridges All 491 Ofsted Fostering Services & HMRC HS236

Traditional fostering agency websites only show generic brochure rates without disclosing your Local Authority’s CMA commissioning split, your exact HMRC Helpsheet HS236 Qualifying Care Relief ceiling (£19,690 fixed + £415/wk under 11 or £495/wk 11+ = £45,430/yr tax-free), or your statutory right to transfer in 28 days under SI 2011/581 Regulation 28(13) while keeping your current foster child in placement (Protocol Section 4.3).

2026/27 UK Regional Fostering Allowance, IFA Pay & HMRC HS236 Tax-Free Benchmark Table
UK Region	2026/27 GOV.UK NMA (11–15) [1]	Typical Council Basic Band	Ofsted Good/Outstanding IFA Avg	Annual Tax-Free Upgrade [2]	Gross PAYE Salary Equiv [6]
North West	£227/wk (£176–£267/wk (2026/27 Rest of England NMA))	£255/wk	£485/wk (£25,220/yr tax-free)	+£11,960/yr	£30,139/yr
Yorkshire & the Humber	£227/wk (£176–£267/wk (2026/27 Rest of England NMA))	£248/wk	£475/wk (£24,700/yr tax-free)	+£11,804/yr	£29,417/yr
West Midlands	£227/wk (£176–£267/wk (2026/27 Rest of England NMA))	£260/wk	£490/wk (£25,480/yr tax-free)	+£11,960/yr	£30,501/yr
East Midlands	£227/wk (£176–£267/wk (2026/27 Rest of England NMA))	£252/wk	£480/wk (£24,960/yr tax-free)	+£11,856/yr	£29,778/yr
Greater London	£266/wk (£205–£309/wk (2026/27 London NMA))	£320/wk	£555/wk (£28,860/yr tax-free)	+£12,220/yr	£35,195/yr
South East	£255/wk (£195–£298/wk (2026/27 South East NMA))	£290/wk	£525/wk (£27,300/yr tax-free)	+£12,220/yr	£33,028/yr
South West	£227/wk (£176–£267/wk (2026/27 Rest of England NMA))	£258/wk	£485/wk (£25,220/yr tax-free)	+£11,804/yr	£30,139/yr
East of England	£227/wk (£176–£267/wk (2026/27 Rest of England NMA))	£278/wk	£505/wk (£26,260/yr tax-free)	+£11,804/yr	£31,584/yr
North East	£227/wk (£176–£267/wk (2026/27 Rest of England NMA))	£240/wk	£465/wk (£24,180/yr tax-free)	+£11,700/yr	£28,695/yr
Wales & Scotland	£229/wk (£208–£260+/wk Wales NMA · £177.68–£283.35/wk Scotland SRA (2026/27))	£265/wk	£490/wk (£25,480/yr tax-free)	+£11,700/yr	£30,501/yr

2026/27 Fostering Pay & Transfer Comparison Guides

Independent Fostering Agency (IFA) vs. Local Authority Allowances UK (2026/27 Benchmark) — Side-by-side 2026/27 comparison of UK Local Authority basic NMA fostering allowances (£227–£266/wk) vs. Ofsted Good & Outstanding Independent Fostering Agencies (£465–£555/wk tax-free under HMRC HS236).
GOV.UK National Minimum Fostering Allowance 2026/27 by Region (Ages 0–17 Official Rates) — Complete 2026/27 Department for Education (DfE) National Minimum Fostering Allowance (NMA) weekly rates for London (£205–£309/wk), South East (£195–£298/wk), and Rest of England (£176–£267/wk) compared with 4.8★ IFA pay.
HMRC Helpsheet HS236 Qualifying Care Relief Calculator (2026/27 £45,430 Tax-Free Ceiling) — Calculate your exact tax-free fostering allowance under HMRC Helpsheet HS236 (ITTOIA 2005 Part 7 Ch 2): £19,690 fixed household threshold + £415/wk (under 11) + £495/wk (11+) = £45,430/yr tax-free.
How to Transfer Fostering Agency With a Child in Placement (Regulation 28(13) & 28-Day Protocol) — Statutory step-by-step guide to transferring from a Local Authority or IFA in 28 days under SI 2011/581 Regulation 28(13) and The Fostering Network Transfer Protocol Section 4.3 without moving your foster child.
Kinship & Connected Foster Carer Allowance vs. IFA Pay UK (2026/27 Statutory Parity Check) — Check statutory National Minimum Allowance parity for approved Family & Friends (Kinship) foster carers (£227–£266/wk) and see how HMRC HS236 £45,430/yr tax-free relief and IFA assessment upgrades work.
Fostering Income vs. Full-Time 9-to-5 Salary UK Calculator (2026/27 PAYE Tax Equivalence) — Compare a £25,220–£28,860/yr tax-free fostering package (£485–£555/wk) against a taxed UK 9-to-5 PAYE salary (£30,139–£35,194/yr gross equivalent) using 2026/27 HMRC HS236 and Personal Allowance bands.

Browse All 10 UK Regional Ofsted Fostering Directories

Featured Local Authority Fostering Allowance Benchmarks (Ofsted Registered)

Featured Ofsted Good & Outstanding Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs)

Verified Primary Statutory & Market Sources (2026/27)

[1] GOV.UK NMA 2026/27 (Department for Education): Statutory National Minimum Fostering Allowance (6 April 2026 – 5 April 2027) is £227/wk (Rest of England), £255/wk (South East), and £266/wk (London) for ages 11–15 (full age 0–17 range £176–£309/wk) covering child maintenance only. Official GOV.UK Source
[2] HMRC Helpsheet HS236 (ITTOIA 2005 Part 7 Chapter 2): Qualifying Care Relief (QCR) exempts £19,690/yr fixed household relief plus £415/wk (child under 11) and £495/wk (child 11+) from UK Income Tax (£45,430/yr tax-free ceiling for 1 child aged 11+). Official HMRC HS236 Source
[3] CMA Children’s Social Care Market Study (March 2022 Final Report): Reported an average weekly price paid by Local Authorities for an Independent Fostering Agency (IFA) placement of £820/wk (~£820–£910/wk across 2026/27 regional frameworks) with 19.4% average private IFA operating margins. Official CMA Source
[4] Ofsted Social Care Register (491 Fostering Services) & National Statistics: Official inspection directory of 343 Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs) and 148 Local Authorities in England (covering 42,190 fostering households & 56,345 approved foster carers). Official Ofsted Source
[5] SI 2011/581 Regulation 28(13) & The Fostering Network Transfer Protocol: Statutory 28-day harmonised agency transfer procedure protecting settled child placements under Section 4.3 Welfare Continuity. Official Legislation.gov.uk Source
[6] DfE National Minimum Standards (NMS 2011) & UK PAYE Equivalence: Standards NMS 15.1 (Safe Matching), NMS 20 (Carer Training), NMS 21.6/21.8 & Reg 17 (SSW Caseloads, 24/7 Support & Paid Respite), NMS 22.9 (LADO Support), NMS 26.2 (Carer Records), and NMS 28.1 (45p/mi Mileage & Allowances). Gross PAYE salary equivalent uses £12,570 Personal Allowance (0%) + 28% combined Basic Rate Tax (20%) & Employee Class 1 NI (8%).