Foster Carer’s Pay
At Aim High, we believe that a carer’s pay should reflect the amazing job they do in changing the lives of children and young people.
We want our carers to be rewarded for their commitment and hard work, and as such we offer very generous fostering allowances.
Allowances vary depending upon the type and extent of care needed for the child, but as a guide they start from £440 per week per child.
This amount can increase to up to £650 per week (and in some cases more) when caring for children with disabilities or those with additional/complex needs.
The allowance covers the child’s basic needs; food, clothes, pocket money, phone credit, toiletries, activity allowance, entertainment and social activities.
It also includes payment towards household utilities and maintaining your home.
There are additional allowances given to Foster Carers each year to help cover the cost of birthdays, Christmas, Respite and Holidays etc.
Additional Allowances
In addition to a generous weekly fee, our carers receive the following additional fees:
Birthdays: £50 is paid to the carer towards the cost of a foster child’s birthday
Christmas / Religious festival: £100 is paid per year, per foster child, towards to cost of a gift
Holiday Allowance: Aim High will contribute £300 per year, per foster child, towards the cost of a holiday that includes the foster child (Conditions Apply). Carers will also have the opportunity to use the Aim High Caravan for free at Walton-On-The-Naze once year for a short break.
Respite Allowance: Aim High will contribute £400 per year, per foster child, towards the cost of respite. This allows Carers to have some time out and spend time away from the fostering household (Conditions Apply).
Claiming Benefits and Paying Tax
Claiming Benefits
As a Foster Carer, you are usually still able to claim tax credits and housing benefits. The fees and allowances you receive from fostering are normally disregarded for the purposes of calculating your entitlement to benefits.
Paying Tax
Foster Carers are considered ‘self-employed’for tax purposes and in the vast majority of cases, Carers do not pay tax. This is due to the generous allowances awarded to them under theFoster Carer Relief system.However, Carers are required to submit a Tax Return each year whether they have any tax to pay or not.
