money

[elfish]

can i ask people who are going through assessment or just been through what they asked you re your finances?

we have a worker who is asking to see all our banks statements, loans, mortgage payments and wages.

he said it was to ensure we could maintain a home and support ourselves without any monies from fostering.

surely that means only quite wealthy people are able to foster as one carer needs to be at home and not working?

also i feel its quite an invasion of our privacy, how much do they really need to know?

Our SW went through all of our finances. We had to show bank statements for the past 3 years. We are by no means wealthy but we are not in any debt and have a small mortgage.
Most of the carers who are in a couple who I know have one stay at home career and their partners have full time jobs. Their jobs are not extremely well paid, bus drivers, postmen, joiners etc.

They want to check people are not doing it for the money. Basically if you can reasonably support yourselves now,then you don't NEED the extra money from fostering,so it's less likely to be financially motivated/abuse that money in order to pay mortgage,debts etc.

They want to check people are not doing it for the money. Basically if you can reasonably support yourselves now,then you don't NEED the extra money from fostering,so it's less likely to be financially motivated/abuse that money in order to pay mortgage,debts etc.

thank you, i still think it is very invasive wanting to know all outgoings and incomings

We were approved in July.. Still no placement under our la but we also had to show all statements etc. I was working part time and had to stop that in July. As above, it's really to see that you not doing it for the money x

Think they also want to know that potential carers can support themselves financially without the fostering allowance because there are often gaps between children being placed with them, during which they're not paid a retainer or anything. If the FCs can't afford to support themselves during these gaps and have to go back out to work to pay their bills, then they're not available to foster and the LA will have wasted a lot of time and money assessing and training them.