National allowance for foster and kinship carers ‘a huge step forward’
The Scottish Greens have hailed the announcement of a standard national allowance for foster and kinship carers, which will support them in caring for the children and young people they look after.
Funded by £16 million from the Scottish Government, the new Scottish Recommended Allowance is a huge step forward, benefitting more than 9,000 children.
The Scottish Greens spokesperson for children and young people, Ross Greer MSP, said:
“This is a huge step forward and a great day for Scotland. It will have a massive impact on the lives and opportunities for thousands of care-experienced children and young people and those caring for them.
“Foster and kinship carers play a vital role in supporting children who are often very vulnerable. I am delighted that the Scottish Government and local councils have reached agreement on delivering this much needed financial support.
“There is nothing inevitable about child poverty and, with Scottish Greens in government here in Scotland, we are doing everything we can to end it for good. Changes we have already introduced such as the £25 per week Scottish Child Payment and compensating for Westminster’s cruel benefit cap are already lifting 90,000 children out of poverty.”
The new funding means that every eligible foster and kinship carer will receive at least a standard, national allowance, no matter where they live.
The weekly allowances, which will be backdated to 1 April 2023, are:
- 0 to 4 year-olds: £168.31
- 5 to 10 year-olds £195.81
- 11 to 15 year-olds: £195.81
- 16-years-old and over: £268.41