Financial support

This page gives information about the types of financial support available for kinship carers.

Kinship carers (family members, friends or connected persons raising a child) may need financial support to help meet the costs of caring. Financial support is not automatic and will depend on the child’s needs, your circumstances, and the type of legal arrangement in place. In most situations, support is means tested, subject to assessment, and reviewed regularly.

Special Guardianship Orders (SGO)
Child Arrangements Orders (CAO)
Informal kinship care (family and friends care)
Private fostering
Approved kinship foster carers
Types of discretionary payment
Other sources of financial support
How to access financial support
Energy bills
Free will writing service
Supporting kinship carers to stay in work
Health and wellbeing

Special Guardianship Orders (SGO)

If you have or plan to have a Special Guardianship Order, you may be entitled to financial support from the Council. You can request an assessment for Special Guardianship financial support. In some situations an assessment must be undertaken following a written request. In other situations (normally where the child was not previously looked after by the local authority) the local authority has discretion whether to agree an assessment.

Financial support may be provided in the following circumstances:

where financial support is necessary to ensure that the special guardian or prospective special guardian can look after the child
where the child needs special care which requires a greater expenditure of resources than would otherwise be the case because of illness, disability, emotional or behavioural difficulties or the consequences of past abuse or neglect
where the local authority consider that it is appropriate to contribute to any legal costs, including court fees, associated with the making of a special guardianship order or any application to vary or discharge such an order, an application for an order under section 8 of the Act (a contact order, a prohibited steps order, a residence order or a specific issue order), or an order for financial provision to be made to or for the benefit of the child
where the local authority consider it appropriate to make a contribution to the expenditure necessary for the purpose of accommodating and maintaining the child, including the provision of furniture and domestic equipment, alterations to and adaptations of the home, provision of means of transport, and provision of clothing, toys and other items necessary for the purpose of looking after the child

Financial support may include:

regular periodic payments (a special guardianship allowance)
one-off setting up or settling in costs such as furniture or clothing
ongoing payments to meet specific needs relating to the child’s condition, for example where the child requires a special diet or items such as shoes, clothing or bedding need to be replaced at a higher rate than would normally be the case due to a serious and long-term condition

In most situations, the financial circumstances of the special guardian must be taken into account when deciding whether to provide financial support. In some situations, the special guardianship allowance may be paid without a means test for at least the first two years of the special guardianship order if the child was looked after by the local authority immediately before the order was made.

Payment is calculated having regard to the amount of fostering allowance which would have been payable if the child were fostered.

Support is set out in a written support plan, reviewed at least annually and sometimes time limited.

In addition:

you may be entitled to non-financial special guardianship support services
the child may be eligible for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund for therapeutic services where criteria are met
you will usually be able to access mainstream benefits (such as Child Benefit and Universal Credit) in line with usual claimant criteria
you may be entitled to child maintenance from the child’s parents

Child Arrangements Orders (CAO)

If you care for a child under a Child Arrangements Order, financial support may be available but is less common than for SGO. You can request an assessment for financial support.

This may include:

a child arrangements allowance. This is discretionary and means tested
financial support for a child assessed as being “in need” (known as “section 17” payments)

Support is discretionary and is more likely where the child is or was supported by children’s services. In most cases, the parents retain financial responsibility, and carers may need to seek child maintenance.

Allowances are individually assessed and usually reviewed annually, unless agreed for a time limited period (see types of payment below).

Informal kinship care (family and friends care)

Where you are caring for a child without a court order there is no automatic financial allowance. However, you may be able to access:

'Section 17' financial support where the child is assessed as ‘in need’
one off payments for essential items or specific needs

Support will depend on the child’s circumstances, your financial situation and an assessment by children’s services.
You can also apply to claim mainstream welfare benefits, including Child Benefit and Universal Credit and you may ask for, or apply for child maintenance.

GOV.UK: Contact the Child Maintenance Service

Private fostering

Private fostering is when a child under the age of 16 has been or will be cared for by someone who is not a close relative for 28 days or more.

The Council must:

satisfy itself that the welfare of the child will be safeguarded and promoted in private fostering
secure such advice as appears to be needed

In normal circumstances the financial arrangements for care and maintenance of the child are a matter for the parents and private foster carer.

Where appropriate, the local authority will establish if the parents and foster carer have agreed financial arrangements and whether those arrangements are working.

Exceptionally, financial support by the local authority could be considered to assist the private foster carer through a short period of financial hardship which coincides with a fall in maintenance payments. Such payments can be recovered. Any state entitlements should also be taken into account.

Where there is an identified need for support, which is not available from other agencies, the local authority will consider whether this support should be provided under section 17.

You may apply for mainstream benefits. Where appropriate the local authority will provide basic advice to private foster carers on access to child benefit and other benefits.

Approved kinship foster carers

Where you are formally approved as a foster carer for a child, you will receive:

a weekly fostering allowance
additional payments depending on the child’s needs

Types of discretionary payment

There are three categories of payment, which the local authority has discretion to consider. One or more of these may be applicable, depending on the particular circumstances of the case:

Subsistence crisis (one-off) payments

These should be used to overcome a crisis, following the best assessment that can be achieved in the circumstances;

Setting-up

These are for such items as clothing, furniture, or bedding. The Social Worker must be satisfied that the carers' financial position justifies the payment through a financial assessment. Assistance may be given subject to conditions, including repayment in certain situations. However, in most situations, it will be inappropriate for the local authority to seek to recover money provided under these circumstances

Weekly living contribution

It is possible for the local authority to make regular payments where family members or friends care for a child whether or not the child is not Cared for. Where regular payments are to be made, relative carers should be assisted to maximise their Income/Benefit as regular payments may adversely affect an individual's claim to Universal Credit.

In all cases where regular financial support is agreed, a written agreement will be drawn up detailing the level and duration of the financial support that is to be provided, and the mechanism for review.

The following criteria will be applied to all such payments:

the purpose of the payments must be to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child
as part of the assessment, a view should be taken as to whether the carers need financial support based on their reasonable requirements in taking on the care of the child
there are no other legitimate sources of finance
payments will be paid to the carer, not the parents
the payment would not place any person in a fraudulent position

Other sources of financial support

Depending on your circumstances, you may also be able to access:

Universal Credit or other benefits
Child Benefit
Guardian’s Allowance (in some circumstances)
support from the child’s parents (including Child Maintenance)
grants from charitable organisations

How to access financial support

For any enquiries, please contact SGOsupport@cumbria.gov.uk and request a financial assessment.

You will receive decision based on eligibility and need a written support plan where ongoing support is agreed. The Council will support carers to access both local authority and national sources of funding.

Energy bills

To find out if you’re eligible for grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills visit the Citizens Advice Service:

Citizens Advice: Grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills

Free will writing service

The Taylor Lucas Partnership are estate planning and will specialists, they provide a free will writing service for all staff members, kinship carers and foster carers of Westmorland & Furness Council.

Taylor Lucas Partnership: Free will writing service

Supporting kinship carers to stay in work

Useful resources:

Health and wellbeing

Everyone can experience stress or emotional difficulties at times. Kinship carers may be managing court proceedings, assessments, and the day‑to‑day care of a child who may have experienced trauma. Having the right support can help carers cope with these pressures, look after their own wellbeing, and provide the best care for the child.

Qwell: A digital mental health platform

Adults across Westmorland and Furness can access free, anonymous and confidential mental health support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year from 1 April 2026.

Qwell is an interactive digital mental health platform, where users can access a range of support online including:

connecting online with qualified professionals via drop in and pre-booked sessions
moderated community support - talking to someone with similar experiences
self guided resources - articles and interactive tools

Qwell offers flexible, clinically moderated support designed to reduce barriers to accessing mental health support. The service is free to use with no waiting lists, no referrals and no thresholds, providing immediate access whenever it is needed.

Access the Qwell service

Westmorland and Furness health and wellbeing service

The Health and Wellbeing Team provides health coaching to help you address any health and wellbeing issues that you may have. They'll support you to develop a plan to address issues that influence your health and wellbeing.

They also have a range of health and wellbeing sessions available across Westmorland and Furness. Some are run on a drop-in basis; some sessions are by appointment only.

Health and wellbeing service