Giving up work to foster....benefits

[ohoneybeeo]

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone could help me.
I'm currently going through the assessment to become a foster carer, and will be giving up work to do so. I've recently heard that if you give up work voluntarily you can't claim any benefits for 6 months. Does anyone know if this applies to foster carers also?
Thanks for any help.

[Keely40]

Hello I'm new to this site. I'm thinking about becoming a foster mum but unsure about choosing a foster agency. Any advice please!

[Candycoco]

And you can only claim income support if you foster for a local authority NOT an agency

[mum2tots]

You can only get child tax credits for your own children, not for LAC. You can then chose working tax credits OR income support. x

[passmyglassplease]

Hi all, glad I stumbled across this board, I am just about to look into benefits available as I have one week left at my current employment. I started out taking in homeless youngsters and have progressed onto fostering, I am a single parent with one birth child at home.

I already have a teenager in place, however he is due to be moving into supported housing in the next 6 weeks. I have asked my agency to see if they can get a placement lined up as I do have a mortgage to pay. I have researched benefits available to foster carers and have come up with.

Working tax credit
Child tax credit
Income support

Am I correct in my deductions?

[Fannyupcrutch]

I have just found my way here from doing some research into fostering. Its something I would love to do. I have had 4 children and have 3 still living at home, an autistic son age 15, an 11-yods and a 7yodd. I have health issues though that I feel may scupper any chances of me doing this. I am biploar, was diagnosed after a breakdown that was brought on by me keeping the secret of childhood sexual abuse. That was 5 years ago and After counseling, mindfulness training and learning to love myself I have been completely stable wand medication free for 3-4 years now. However in that time I have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis so have minor mobility issues ( but they don't really affect my day to day life, I still manage fine with my kids!). Could either of these health issues ruin my chances?

I know I have a lot to offer, I have a degree in English and am hoping to do a course in teaching English as a foreign language. I am also a qualified teaching assistant and am hoping to do my ITT next year (again providing my health issues don't ruin my chances). I have worked wonders with my autistic son and he has blossomed into a beautiful young man that has a bright future despite the doctors and teachers writing him off a young boy.

[flamingnoravera]

NC (only because I fancied a change and found myself talking like Jack Duckworth this week) but this is OFusion.
My assessments start next week and I am doing my stage 1 training next weekend. I am to be assessed by two agencies, one for respite while I transition from full time work and the other for the theraputic care. It means I have to do two of everything.
I think I will have to book a medical and try to get the doctor to do two reports (I can't imagine that will be easy!)- one for each agency, I am sure she can charge for both, it seems daft doing two medical exams though.

[heerapl]

Hi,
It's really interesting reading everyone's comments, I hope your new role goes well orangefusion.
I'm setting up a new fostering agency myself in Sussex and have been speaking to foster carers to get feedback on what they feel makes a good fostering service. It will aim to have a supportive, family feel, be involved in local community and events and very different from the many agencies that have been bought out by venture capitalists.
I've had some interest from people already which is great but I would welcome any views from experienced people or any other things as discussed above that carers have queries about.

[fasparent]

Annual income for FC's will vary from nil to moderate, all can apply for National |Insurance credits, class 3 subscription, or voluntary self employed contributions. All will depend on individual position. Just Google, Foster care National Insurance Credits, Can also transfer credits from spouses etc. Think they will only backdate for 7 years will make a difference too retirement age's etc. worth looking at was credited from my husband's extended period he paid over his qualifying period.

[orangefusion]

I will update as things move along. The first group of FCarers in my area were only trained last month so this is still very new. the more I read of the approach the more I am keen to get involved.

[Cassimin]

Please let us know how you get on orange. This type of care sounds like just what some children need. My little one was not suitable for adoption because of all their problems. I have had all of the training that carers are offered but not of this really deals with our issues. I have had to access my own training privately. Anything that is offered by LA would be beneficial to me.
But as other posters say ensure that you find out how many children have been placed in this kind of care as I can't see my LA using this service very often.

[orangefusion]

I think that the cost is seen as worth it, for most of the children in this group the only other alternative is long term institutional care which no one wants as an outcome. I will be working with 7-11 year olds for 9-12 months.

The allowance is generous because they are trying to encourage people like me who are at the end of a professional career and want to change tack but not stop contributing or earning entirely. I have worked in education and youth work for most of my working life.

I had factored in petrol etc but as I commute daily at the moment it is not likely to be any increase on my current costs. I have always run a spreadsheet that details all my incomes and outgoings and I live quite frugally with few vices or costly hobbies. I had not thought about increased insurance premiums so that is helpful scarlet.

The next step is to get through the restructure that causes me to be made redundant at work- possibly by December so it will be a new year and a new life for me.

[scarlet5tyger]

Cassimin I think you have a valid point about the expense and cutbacks - most LAs have been using their FCs as unpaid therapeutic carers for years! However, I can see huge benefits to the scheme as more and more children are coming into care later, with increased needs.

Orange fusion, £650 a week is VERY generous (almost 4 times what I get!). Have you asked how often the agency you're applying to actually PLACE children with carers? (don't be fobbed off with how many referrals they receive)

Don't automatically assume you're not entitled to benefits - I think you can claim working tax credit, or Income Support (I claim Income Support as a single carer but my wage is a lot less than 650. Not sure if that will make a difference)

There will be additional expenses to those you've listed - increased insurance premiums, damage to the home (the eldest child I've had has been 7 yet I've replaced broken bedroom furniture constantly!), petrol for constant trips to appointments... I also open savings accounts for my foster children as standard. It IS do-able though. And registering as self employed was really straight forward, don't worry about that.

[orangefusion]

It is an approach for which local authorities have had to bid in partnership with agencies. There seems to be a demand for FCarers in my area but they are being very careful about who they select (I am not there yet!) because it demands sticking very carefully to a set of clear ways of working with the child. It includes daily phone calls to a co-ordinating worker, a skills coach, the child's SW, a supervising SW, the school and a clinical psychologist so yes, expensive but evidence suggests that it is very effective.

I have just spent the afternoon clearing out my old craft cupboards and getting excited that I might be able to revisit gluing and sticking and model making and stuff all over again with another child. So whilst I am apprehensive I am also clearly keen or I would not be having these feelings of excitement. I just hope it all goes well from now. I am only at the first meeting and application form stage. I am waiting on the first report from the visiting social worker.

[Cassimin]

Thanks, have never heard of this type of fostering. Although I have had children that may have benefited from it. I think most of the FC I know have had behavioural problems and therapies can be provided from school and also if requested from outside agencies. Is there much demand for this type of foster care as I would imagine with cutbacks CS would find it hard to afford.

[orangefusion]

MDFC is multi dimensional treatment foster care, it is a team based approach that aims to help children learn new appropriate behaviours so that they can be ready for long term foster care/adoption/return to birth families. The foster carer is working as part of the team to continue the theraputic plan (it continues in school and in special sessions with coaches).

The allowance is quite generous at £650 per week and of course I have factored in clothes, food, pocket money etc (but not savings for the child- is this a requirement?) I wont be as well off as in work (and have been paying for these items out of my salary for the past 20 years for my (now grown up) son, but if one takes the package as a whole (boarding out allowance and foster carers allowance) the sum comes to the equivalent of a £45K per year salary before tax, (again that is based on a full 12 months with a placement- so a lot of assumptions but I am not unrealistic about what is possible). I managed to bring up my son on far less than this in his earlier years and we had a good quality of life. I hope that I can offer this to another child via fostering and that it will improve the quality of their life too.

[Cassimin]

Sorry what is MDFC?
You may be able to claim WTC whilst you have child with you.
Remember out of the allowance you get you need to put savings away for child , give them pocket money and transport them to and from school, contact. This is without day to day expenses eg. Clubs , clothes, toys, books, school dinners. Can't see how you could be as well off financially as you would be in a full time job.
You need to pay your own NI contributions but if you only have one child you don't usually need to pay any tax as the tax allowances are quite generous.

[orangefusion]

I have just sent off my application to become a foster carer. I go from being excited about it to being very apprehensive and a bit scared. I am going to apply to do MDFC so it will be a theraputic arrangement with a finite time scale which I find quite comforting.

I am going to be made redundant soon and have no mortgage so as long as I have a placement I will be not much worse off than working full time in a senior post in education. But I am still very nervous about being self-employed and how I will manage with regards to keeping national insurance payments up to date so my pension record will be ok.

As far as I can see I cannot claim any benefits so I will be relying on getting temping work or using savings if I dont have a child placed with me. I have been promised help with setting up as self-employed if I am accepted.

[scarlet5tyger]

Thanks for the link Always.

It's interesting that while the government are encouraging Foster Carers to look after children to the age of 21 these days they're also going to stop our entitlement to benefits once the child reaches 16... And at 18 my own LA also stop paying our fostering fee. I wonder why so few children in care go on to higher education...???

[Candycoco]

Really useful link thank you

[alwayhappytohelp]

www.fostering.net/all-about-fostering/foster-carers/finances/benefits#.VavK5aRViko

Under Universal Credit the same disregard for both fostering fees and allowances will apply. Any fees or allowances you receive from fostering will have no effect on the amount of Universal Credit you are entitled to, and will not be treated as ‘earnings’ under Universal Credit.
It looks like you can claim.

[Candycoco]

Jabber where did you hear that foster carers are ineligible for universal credit? That's not something I was aware of. Are you able to link at all to that?

[wonderpants]

The problem with agency work (certainly as a short term LA carer) is that when you are waiting for a placement, they can come at such short notice that it is hard to commit the anything else, just in case! I never know if I can work the next day, as you don't want to be unavailable, especially if you have waited a while.
Moves, even from other carers, never seem that planned ahead. From first call, to a child on your doorstep can be a few hours!

[alwayhappytohelp]

Unfortunately, I have worked with and know a lot of single carers who gave up the employments and regretted it. It can make you feel resentful! When I first stated nearly twenty years ago there were lots of children. I gave up a full time job because the agency said I had too. I was in a good position of my husband working. The situation has greatly changed and there are more carers with empty bedroom. The children's needs have also changed a great deal. The children come into care older. Thus loads of teenagers. I've looked after loads of teenagers but it's very hard work! All I can say forearmed is hopefully forewarned. If you feel you can cope and have a good fall out plan then defiantly proceed. Make sure you have a good support network. The children need good resilient carers who will stick by them come what may.

[jabberwockyboss]

I am undergoing the process with a IFA, I have a little money saved, I have been made redundant so currently have no permanent employment and am working on agency. After years of "waiting for the right time" before becoming a foster carer, my career ending was the catalyst for me to fulfil what I believe to be my true vocation.
They did ask me how I would manage between placements and I said I would probably do some more (loathed) agency work and they seemed satisfied with that. I haven't seen an assessor yet. It appears this may shatter my dreams.
It appears more impossible than high expectations. Your answers of "pay your bills" meaning with zero income and "pool of savings" which pretty much every single person I know hasn't got and I feel fortunate to have a puddle, answers my question; fostering is only for the well-off :'-(

[alwayhappytohelp]

Hi Jabberwockyboss and welcome. Before you started the fostering process this should have been all outlined with you. Your don't say if you are LA/IFA. Either way is doesn't matter. An assessor has to document that you are able to manage you finances and currently pay your bills etc. Some single carers fostering/adoption take alternative part time work or reduce the working hours. If you are in an employment that gives you a pension I would think very hard on giving it up. Some carers get there employers to give them up to six months off. So if no placement you can return to work. Also, some carers save a pool of savings to fall back on. If you can ask the agency what is the current waiting time for children and how many carers are currently empty. Not all will answer. I would never recommend a single carer to live a staple employment. If when you get a child no one know how long they will stay. Additionally, even when you work part time or on reduced hours. No one knows how your child will react within your family. You could be forever at the school sorting out issues. Attending appointments and meeting etc. Agencies quite rightly have very high expectations of their foster carers!