Kinship care · UK guide

Raising a relative’s child? Here’s the money and support.

Last verified 18 Jun 2026 · Source GOV.UK + DfE Kinship Allowance pilot + the Kinship charity

If a grandchild, niece, nephew, sibling or friend’s child can’t live with their parents and you’ve stepped in, you are a kinship carer — and there is real support, even though it can feel like a maze. You can usually claim Child Benefit and the Universal Credit child element for every child (the two-child limit ended in April 2026), Guardian’s Allowance if the parents have died, and ask your council for a kinship or special guardianship allowance. A new government Kinship Allowance pilot began in April 2026. This guide maps it out.

Every childChild Benefit + UC element
£22.95/wkGuardian’s Allowance (if parents died)
VariesCouncil kinship allowance
Free helpThe Kinship charity
What can I claim? → Check my benefits

What kinship care is

Kinship care is when a child lives with and is raised by someone other than their parents — most often a grandparent, but also aunts, uncles, older siblings, other relatives or close family friends. Around 1 in 3 children who can’t live with their parents are raised this way rather than by unrelated foster carers or in care.

It takes several legal forms, and the form affects what support you can get:

  • Informal kinship care — a private family arrangement, no court order.
  • Child arrangements order (CAO) — a court order saying the child “lives with” you.
  • Special guardianship order (SGO) — a stronger court order giving you parental responsibility until the child is 18.
  • Kinship foster care — the child is “looked after” by the council and formally placed with you, so you become an approved foster carer.

The money you can usually claim

Whatever your arrangement, start with the benefits that are reliable and UK-wide:

SupportWhat it is
Child BenefitFor every child you’re raising — there has never been a two-child limit on it. It’s also the gateway to Guardian’s Allowance. See our Child Benefit guide.
Universal Credit child elementFor every child — the two-child limit was removed from April 2026, and kinship children were generally exempt even before that. See Universal Credit.
Guardian’s Allowance£22.95 a week, tax-free, if the child’s parents have died — paid on top of Child Benefit. See Guardian’s Allowance.
Other benefitsAdding a child to your household can change your Universal Credit, Council Tax Reduction, free school meals, Healthy Start and childcare help — run a full benefits check.

The council kinship allowance

On top of the benefits above, your local council may pay a kinship care allowance or special guardianship allowance. Be aware:

  • It is largely discretionary and usually means-tested, so the amount varies a lot by council and by your circumstances — there is no single national rate.
  • Kinship foster carers (where the child is looked-after and placed with you) get a fostering allowance, at least at the National Minimum Allowance — generally the most generous route.
  • Ask your council’s children’s services for a financial assessment and a copy of their kinship/special-guardianship policy. If money was discussed when the child came to you, hold them to it in writing.
New for 2026 — the Kinship Allowance pilot

From April 2026 the government is piloting a proper financial allowance for kinship carers in a small number of English councils (“Kinship Zones”, backed by £126m). It pays some carers with — or working towards — a special guardianship order or a “lives with” child arrangements order an allowance matching the National Minimum Allowance for foster carers. It is limited to the pilot areas for now — ask your council whether yours is taking part.

Other help worth claiming

  • Free school meals and the school’s pupil premium plus for children who’ve been in care or are under an SGO/CAO.
  • Council Tax Reduction and a benefits re-check now your household has changed.
  • Time off work — you may be able to use parental or dependant leave; some employers offer kinship-care leave.
  • The Kinship charity (kinship.org.uk) — free expert advice, support groups and a benefits-and-allowances service built specifically for kinship carers. Citizens Advice (0800 144 8848) can also help.
Do this now
  1. Claim Child Benefit for the child if you haven’t — then check Guardian’s Allowance if the parents have died.
  2. Run a benefits check so the Universal Credit child element and any other help are in place.
  3. Call your council’s children’s services and ask for a kinship/special-guardianship financial assessment — and whether your area is in the Kinship Allowance pilot.
  4. Get free expert advice from the Kinship charity.

You don’t have to navigate this alone — kinship carers are routinely under-supported, and asking is how the money gets unlocked.

Source verification Primary sources: GOV.UK (Child Benefit, Guardian’s Allowance, Universal Credit), the DfE Kinship Allowance pilot / “Kinship Zones” (announced 27 February 2026, £126m, 7 English local authorities, from April 2026), and the Kinship charity (kinship.org.uk). Last verified 18 June 2026. Confidence: High on the universal benefits (Child Benefit, Guardian’s Allowance £22.95/week, UC child element with the two-child limit removed from April 2026); kinship and special-guardianship allowances are discretionary and means-tested, so amounts are deliberately described as varying by council rather than quoted as a national figure. SortedUK is independent — not a government service, and this is general information, not legal advice.

Kinship care — common questions

What money can kinship carers claim?

Child Benefit and the Universal Credit child element for every child (the two-child limit ended April 2026), Guardian’s Allowance (£22.95/week) if the parents have died, and — depending on your council — a discretionary kinship or special guardianship allowance. Kinship foster carers get a fostering allowance.

How much is the special guardianship / kinship allowance?

There’s no single national rate — it’s discretionary and usually means-tested, so it varies by council and circumstances. Ask your council’s children’s services for a financial assessment, and check whether your area is in the new Kinship Allowance pilot.

What is the Kinship Allowance pilot?

A government pilot from April 2026 (the “Kinship Zones”, £126m) in a small number of English councils, paying some kinship carers with or heading towards an SGO or “lives with” CAO an allowance matching the foster-carer National Minimum Allowance. It’s limited to the pilot areas for now.

Does the two-child limit affect me?

No — the Universal Credit two-child limit was removed from April 2026, so you get the child element for every child. Even before that, kinship-care children were generally exempt, and Child Benefit has never had a two-child limit.

You took the child in. Now claim what helps you raise them.

Child Benefit, the UC child element, Guardian’s Allowance and a council assessment — start the claims, then get free expert advice from the Kinship charity.

Run a benefits check → Guardian’s Allowance