Fostering Allowances
Fees and Allowances
At Amicus we pay our foster carers competitive professional fees and allowances, in recognition of the skilled and demanding work that they carry out.
The payment you receive from Amicus will be made up of two elements:
- The maintenance allowance for the child
- The foster carer fee
The allowance covers the costs of everything that you need to care for a child such as food, clothing, transport, personal items and household expenses. The fee part of the payment is effectively your salary for the time and skill dedicated to foster caring.
The amount that you receive for each of these components will vary depending on a number of factors, including the type of placement, the age of each child and the complexity of their needs. The Amicus fees and allowances are calculated on a nightly rate and is paid fortnightly.
In addition to the fees and allowances, we also have a range of benefits (see Benefits & Rewards, in the Why Amicus section).
Self-Employment and Tax Relief
As a foster carer, you are classed as self-employed and are paid on a fortnightly basis, which not all agencies do, while you have a child or young person in your care. It is important to consider that you will not be paid any fees or allowances for any period that you are not caring and therefore as part of the application and assessment process we will discuss your financial circumstances and how you will manage during these periods.
As a foster carer your earnings will be subject to special tax arrangements which in most cases mean that you will pay very low, if any tax on your income from fostering. There’s a fixed tax exemption of up to £18,140 per year which is shared equally among any foster carers in the same household. This means you don’t have to pay tax on the first £18,140 income (after expenses) you make from fostering.
On top of the £18,140 exemption, you also get tax relief of up to £375 per week for each child in your care under age 11 and £450 for older children and adults. This means it is likely you will pay little tax if any.
If you currently receive benefits, these may still be paid alongside your fostering payments. For further information about working out your taxable income and eligibility for claiming working tax credit, visit the Government website:
https://www.gov.uk/foster-carers/help-with-the-cost-of-fostering
Amicus pays foster carers a more competitive fee than what is stated on the gov.uk website.
ASPIRE Fostering
At Amicus we have big aspirations for our young people, foster carers and staff team. Joining Amicus you will be supported to be an ASPIRE foster carer.
ASPIRE – means Ambition to Support children and young people achieve through Passion, Interaction, Respect and Empathy (ASPIRE). Here at Amicus, since the beginning and to this day we continue in our belief that ‘every child should have the right to experience a childhood in a family setting’. For some children this is not always possible, by providing ASPIRE to each and every one of our children and young people, we hope to provide enhanced wrap-around support to ensure children and young people thrive in the care of our foster carers.
By being an ASPIRE foster carer for Amicus, you will provide long-term home for children and young people, often aged between 10-16 years old, providing them with a safe place to live whilst we support you to be part of their journey.
As an ASPIRE Advanced carer you will be providing complex care to young people who have experienced significant trauma and associated challenges, or care to children and young people who may have complex needs with learning disabilities.
