Family Rights Group | Kinship carers’ Forum

hi all, i have just received a form from the child benefit agency for me to fill in and theres a bit on there asking if i have ever received payment other than Special Guardianship or Residence Allowance what i need to know is Kinship allowance the same as residence allowance as that is what i received. thanx

babylove, what is meant by 'kinship allowance' would depend upon what the legal status was of the child you were looking after.

If the child was a looked after child (ie the child was accommodated, or under a care order orm interim care order), then you would have been receiving a fostering allowance.

If the child was not looked after, and the local authority was viewing it as a private arrangement between you and the parents, then the kinship allowance would have been paid out of section 17 funds, for children in need.

You would not be able to receive fostering allowance and child benefit for the same child at the same time, so if you have in the past received a fostering allowance you would need to be clear that it has stopped now.

David R
FRG Policy Adviser

hi david, thanx for your reply. the children were classed as looked after on a ICO and yes it was a fostering allowance that i received, i got the SGO on the 5th nov and my money is being sorted out for the SGO allowance from that date. that is the date i have put on the form for the child benefit. they have up till now been paying me the fostering allowance as they messed up the paperwork BUT they are taking it all back off me and thaen paying me the SGO allowance from the 5th. i hope that makes sense to you lol