Competitive payments & benefits
You don't become a foster carer for the money. But with our competitive payments you won't be out of pocket.
Gloucestershire County Council foster carers receive:
- A competitive age-related allowance to cover the costs of a child living with you.
- A generous fee in recognition of your time and skill as a foster carer
- Generous mileage allowances
- Reimbursement of childcare costs incurred whilst attending training or other meetings
- Allowances to cover a child’s birthday and Christmas gifts, and also any relevant special religious festivals
- Holiday pay and a holiday allowance
- Discretionary payments for exceptional needs
- Paid membership to The Fostering Network
- Our discount scheme which offers discounts across many high street and online stores, supermarkets and places of entertainment.
- Gifts to celebrate fostering milestones
Take a look at our current schedule of fees and allowances.
Fostering and Tax
Foster carers are self-employed for tax and national insurance purposes, so you would need to register with HMRC. You will be eligible for qualifying care relief, which means you may not need to pay tax on your fostering income. Visit the HMRC website for details. You will receive fees and allowances to cover the costs of looking after a child and to recognise your time and skills.
Local authority versus private fostering agencies
Sometimes independent fostering agencies claim that councils do not pay as much. In Gloucestershire, our foster carer payments are extremely competitive with any of the local agencies and, often, when foster carers transfer to GCC they are surprised at the number of ways in which they are financially supported when fostering for the local council, that they did not receive when working for a private agency.
