Fostering allowances and fees

[Runner31]

Hi all,
I hate asking money questions but we're trying to work out our finances during the first year of adoption and I haven't got any where with our SW. Our local authority has in their documents that foster carers get a fostering allowance as well as a weekly fee and it doesn't say this is any different for adoptive parents while they wait for the adoption order.
Is that right? Would we get both the fee and the allowance until the adoption order?

I have to stress there isn't a problem with our finances and we've already been approved. It's just so long ago that we worked out the post adoption finances and i realised we hadn't really considered the fostering payments.

Unless you are doing foster to adopt, I wouldn't expect to get a fostering payment or fee.

You might be eligible for an adoption allowance, usually means tested and where the child a lot of extra needs, possibly a sibling group

Are you doing Forster to adopt?

*foster

Hi, thanks for the responses. What we've been told is that the local authority class us as foster carers for a minimum of 6 months while the adoption order goes through. For that period we're classed as foster carers which is why we get dual approved at panel. Our understanding from our SW's is that all adoptions in our local authority start that way. We definitely do receive something I just don't know if it's the fee and allowance as normal or just one part of it. I don't know if it makes a difference but we're in Scotland.

Cheers

And it's definitely not an adoption allowance. That was explained as something different.

sorry, basic error, assumed you were in England. I know things are run differently in Scotland but not the detail.

There is a Scottish contingent here, they will be along at some point

We got £77 a month with a Local Authority in Scotland. One child, foster to adopt. Adoption hearing was in March and Adoption Order was granted. Xx

Sorry that was meant to say £77 a week not a month. Sorry xx

We're in Scotland too and our adoption order hasn't gone through yet. Son has been home for 8 months. We've been paid nothing from the LA. We have been able to apply for child benefit and DLA but no support whatsoever otherwise.

I’m in Scotland too and our son cane home a year and a half ago.
Although the adoption order hasn’t been granted, and we are technically foster carers, we do not receive anything from local authorities. Some children are assigned adoption allowance when they are put on the register as an incentive for the harder to place children but it isn’t common place. I wouldn’t expect any fee/allowance and of something is mentioned it will be a bonus.

Thanks for the replies. I've had it confirmed it's just the foster allowance and not the fee that we get paid. If you're in Scotland I would double check with your local authority just in case you've missed an entitlement. We were told about it quite early on when we were going through our finances, it was brought up again at the training and immediately after we were approved we received the payment form to complete and return. I was just unclear as to which part we were receiving.

It depends very much on the local authority. I didn’t get a fostering allowance but do get an adoption allowance for my two which is paid at two thirds of the fostering allowance and applies until my kids are 18. I’d also check about the 6 month time period, you can legally apply for the adoption order 13 weeks after placement- my two were placed at the beginning of August and the adoption order was granted in November. Once the children are placed the expectation is that you start the adoption order process with a view to getting an early court date in place. That doesn’t mean it’s straightforward and it can really drag on but you don’t need to wait 6 months.