Special Guardianship · UK guide

Special Guardianship — security for the child, support for you.

Last verified 18 Jun 2026 · Source GOV.UK + the Kinship charity + Family Rights Group

A Special Guardianship Order (SGO) gives a relative or carer parental responsibility for a child until they turn 18 — more secure than a child arrangements order, but without permanently severing the birth parents’ legal status like adoption does. Special guardians can get a discretionary, tax-free allowance from the council, the Adoption & Special Guardianship Support Fund for therapy, Child Benefit and more. Here’s how it works and how to apply.

Until 18Parental responsibility
Tax-freeAllowance (discretionary)
3 monthsNotice before you apply
Support FundTherapy via the A&SG fund
The allowance & support → Kinship care overview

What an SGO is

A Special Guardianship Order is a family-court order in England and Wales that makes you the child’s special guardian, with parental responsibility you can usually exercise to the exclusion of the parents for day-to-day and most major decisions. It is designed for children who can’t live with their parents but for whom adoption isn’t right — very often kept within the wider family.

It sits between the other options:

OrderWhat it gives you
Child arrangements order (CAO)Says the child “lives with” you and gives parental responsibility, but is the least secure of the three.
Special guardianship order (SGO)Stronger and longer-lasting (to age 18); you make most decisions, but the parents keep limited legal status and the child keeps their identity and surname.
AdoptionPermanent — ends the legal relationship with the birth parents entirely. The biggest step.

The Special Guardianship Allowance

Councils can pay special guardians a Special Guardianship Allowance to help with the cost of raising the child. Be clear on how it works:

  • It is discretionary and means-tested — every council must have a scheme, but there’s no single national rate; the amount depends on your income and outgoings, and the number and age of the children.
  • It is tax-free, and it is not counted as income when working out your means-tested benefits.
  • Councils deduct any Child Benefit you receive for the child from the allowance, to avoid double-funding — so claim Child Benefit too.
  • Allowances are usually reviewed each year, so your circumstances changing can change the amount.
New for 2026 — the Kinship Allowance pilot

From April 2026 the government is piloting a more generous financial allowance in some English councils (the “Kinship Zones”) for certain carers with, or working towards, a Special Guardianship Order — matching the foster-carer National Minimum Allowance. It’s limited to the pilot areas; ask your council and see our kinship care guide.

The wider support

Money is only part of it. As a special guardian you can also access:

  • A Special Guardianship support plan from the council, covering the child’s needs and yours.
  • The Adoption & Special Guardianship Support Fund — funding for therapeutic support (the child’s early experiences often mean they need it).
  • Child Benefit, and Guardian’s Allowance if the child’s parents have died.
  • The school’s pupil premium plus and, in many areas, priority school admission for children who’ve left care under an SGO.
  • A full benefits check — adding a child changes your Universal Credit child element (the two-child limit ended April 2026), Council Tax Reduction and more.

How to apply

  1. Get advice first. Free help from the Kinship charity and Family Rights Group, and ideally legal advice — legal aid may be available in some situations.
  2. Give the council 3 months’ notice. If you already care for the child, you must give your local council at least three months’ written notice that you intend to apply.
  3. The council assesses you and prepares a report for the court on your suitability, the child’s needs, and a support plan (including any allowance).
  4. Apply to the family court, which decides whether to make the order.
Do this now
  1. Call the Kinship charity or Family Rights Group for free advice on whether an SGO is right for your situation.
  2. Tell your council’s children’s services you’re considering an SGO and ask about the support plan and allowance assessment.
  3. Claim Child Benefit for the child and run a benefits check so nothing is missed in the meantime.

Free help: the Kinship charity; Family Rights Group; Citizens Advice (0800 144 8848). This is general information, not legal advice.

Source verification Primary sources: GOV.UK (special guardianship + the family courts), the Kinship charity and Family Rights Group, and the DfE Kinship Allowance pilot (“Kinship Zones”, from April 2026). Last verified 18 June 2026. Confidence: High on the framework (SGO gives parental responsibility to 18; 3 months’ notice to the council; court decides). The Special Guardianship Allowance is discretionary and means-tested, so amounts are described as varying by council rather than quoted as a national figure; it is tax-free, ignored for means-tested benefits, and reduced by any Child Benefit. England & Wales framework — Scotland and Northern Ireland use different orders. SortedUK is independent — not a government service or a law firm, and this is general information, not legal advice.

Special Guardianship — common questions

What’s the difference between an SGO and adoption?

Adoption permanently ends the legal relationship with the birth parents; an SGO does not — the parents keep limited parental responsibility and the child keeps their identity and surname. An SGO gives you day-to-day control until the child is 18, but is less absolute than adoption.

How much is the Special Guardianship Allowance?

There’s no national rate — it’s discretionary and means-tested, so it varies by council and your finances. It’s tax-free, ignored for means-tested benefits, and reduced by any Child Benefit you get. Ask your council for a financial assessment.

Can I get help with therapy for the child?

Yes — special guardians can apply (through the council) to the Adoption & Special Guardianship Support Fund for therapeutic support, which is common for children who’ve had a difficult start.

How do I start the process?

Get free advice from the Kinship charity or Family Rights Group, then give your council at least 3 months’ written notice that you intend to apply. The council assesses you and reports to the family court, which decides. Legal advice is strongly recommended.

A secure home for the child — and real support for you.

An SGO, a council allowance, the support fund and Child Benefit. Get free expert advice from the Kinship charity, then talk to your council.

Kinship care & the money → Check my benefits