Kinship local offer

Financial support

If you care for a child who cannot live with their parents, you may be able to get financial help.

The support you can get depends on:

  • your family situation
  • the child's needs
  • the legal arrangement for the child
  • your income and savings

Most financial support is assessed and reviewed regularly. It is not given automatically.

On this page:

If you have a Special Guardianship Order

A Special Guardianship Order (SGO) gives you legal responsibility for a child.

You can ask us to assess whether you can get financial support. In some cases, we must complete an assessment. In other cases, we decide whether an assessment is needed.

You may get financial support if:

  • the support helps you care for the child
  • the child has extra needs because of illness, disability, emotional needs or past experiences
  • you need help with legal costs linked to the Special Guardianship Order
  • you need help with things the child needs, such as furniture, equipment, clothes or changes to your home

Financial support can include:

  • a regular allowance
  • help with setting up a home for the child
  • one-off payments for items the child needs
  • payments to meet special needs linked to the child's health or disability

You may also be able to get:

  • Child Benefit
  • Universal Credit
  • child maintenance from the child's parents
  • therapeutic support through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, if eligible

Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund

The ASGSF provides funding for therapeutic support for children and young people.

This includes children and young people:

  • who are adopted
  • living under a Special Guardianship Order
  • living under a Child Arrangements Order
  • who used to be in our care

Support may include:

  • therapeutic parenting support
  • individual or family therapy
  • specialist assessments

Eligibility for the ASGSF

The funding is available up to the age of 21. This means that therapy should start before you reach 22 years old.

If you’ve ever had an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), you can access the funding up to the age of 25. This means that therapy should begin before you reach 26 years old.

How to apply

Request an assessment of support needs by contacting us.

Kinship Team
Email: sgosupport@cumbria.gov.uk

We will:

  • carry out an assessment of your support needs
  • apply to the fund for you, if suitable

Find out more about the fund on GOV.UK

If you have a Child Arrangements Order

A Child Arrangements Order (CAO) says who a child lives with.

You can ask for a financial assessment.

You may get:

  • a Child Arrangements Order allowance
  • financial help if the child is assessed as a child in need under Section 17 of the Children Act

Any support is based on your circumstances and the child's needs. It is usually reviewed each year.

If you care for a child without a court order

This is sometimes called informal kinship care.

There is no automatic allowance.

You may still be able to get:

  • Section 17 financial support
  • one-off payments for important items or urgent needs
  • Child Benefit
  • Universal Credit
  • child maintenance from the child's parents

GOV.UK: Contact the Child Maintenance Service

If you are a private foster carer

Private fostering is when a child under 16 lives with someone who is not a close relative for 28 days or more.

Parents are usually responsible for making financial arrangements with the private foster carer.

In exceptional situations, we may provide short-term financial help if there is financial hardship.

You may also be able to claim benefits, depending on your circumstances.

If you are an approved kinship foster carer

If you are approved as a foster carer, you will receive:

  • a weekly fostering allowance
  • extra payments if the child has additional needs

Other financial help

You may also be able to get:

  • Universal Credit
  • Child Benefit
  • Guardian's Allowance
  • child maintenance
  • grants from charities and other organisations

How to ask for financial support

Contact us and ask for a financial assessment:

Email:
SGOsupport@cumbria.gov.uk

We will look at your situation and the child's needs. If support is agreed, we will tell you what help is available and how long it will last.

Help with energy bills

You may be able to get grants or benefits to help with energy costs. Find out more from Citizens Advice

Free will writing service

Westmorland and Furness kinship carers can use a free will writing service through the Taylor Lucas Partnership.

Help to stay in work

Looking after a child can affect your job and working hours.

You can get advice about:

  • time off work
  • parental leave
  • your rights at work as a kinship carer

Kinship: Time off work for kinship carers

Family Rights Group: Can kinship carers get parental leave from work when taking on the care of a child?

Looking after your health and wellbeing

Caring for a child can be rewarding, but it can also be stressful. Here are some resources.

Qwell

Qwell offers free online mental health support for adults in Westmorland and Furness.

You can:

  • chat with trained professionals
  • join online community support
  • use self-help tools and resources

The service is free and available online.

Access the Qwell service

Health and Wellbeing Service

Our Health and Wellbeing Team can help you improve your physical and mental wellbeing.

Health and wellbeing service

NHS England

NHS England have a short collection of videos designed to provide you with simple tools and techniques to reduce stress wherever you are.

NHS England: Guided meditation

NHS England: Mindfulness and relaxation resources (PDF, 1MB)

Mind

Mind: Mental health information, advice and local services

Samaritans

A listening service if you're struggling with your mental health.

Telephone: 116 123

Samaritans