Kinship care in Scotland
Written and reviewed by Patricia Hughes · Last updated · last reviewed · rates for 2026/27
Important, please read
Special guardianship orders do not exist in Scots law. If you are caring for a relative's child in Scotland, the English rules on this site (regulation 6, regulation 7 and the statutory guidance) do not apply to you.
My calculator routes Scotland to a different set of figures for exactly this reason, and it will not attach English case law to a Scottish result.
The Scottish Recommended Allowance
Scotland sets a recommended allowance covering both foster carers and kinship carers, at the same rates:
| Age of child | Weekly rate |
|---|---|
| 0–4 | £177.68 |
| 5–15 | £206.71 |
| 16–17 | £283.35 |
I take these from the Scottish Government's own page. When I checked one council's copy of the same table against it, that council was still printing rates from two years earlier. So if your council's figures differ from these, look at the date on its page before you argue from either.
Three things that follow from it
It is a floor, not a ceiling. Your council can pay more, and some do. If you are being offered less than the recommended rate, ask why in writing.
Foster and kinship carers get the same recommended rate. If your council pays its foster carers more than it pays you for a child of the same age, that is a difference worth asking it to explain.
No family should be worse off. Where you already have an arrangement paying more than the recommended allowance, the higher amount applies. Moving onto the recommended rate should not reduce what you receive.
One boundary worth knowing
The recommended allowance covers young people aged 16 to 18 who remain in care. It does not cover continuing care arrangements, which are a separate scheme with their own rules. If your young person is 16 or over, it is worth being clear which of the two applies to them before you quote a figure at anybody.
Where to get help in Scotland
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman covers England only. Scotland has the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. Citizens Advice Scotland and local kinship care groups can help with the Scottish system specifically.
What you can check, and what you have to ask for
The Scottish Recommended Allowance is published by the Scottish Government and set out above. It covers foster carers and kinship carers at the same rates.
What it does not tell you is what your own council pays, or why. The recommended rate is a floor and councils may go above it. Ask yours where it sits and how it decided.
Work out what your council should be paying you It takes under a minute, and nothing you type leaves your browser.
Common questions
Can I get a special guardianship order in Scotland?
No. Special guardianship is a creation of the Children Act 1989, which does not apply in Scotland. Scottish kinship care operates under a different legal framework entirely.
Is the recommended allowance means tested?
Not in the way an English special guardianship allowance is. It is a recommended minimum rate.
My council pays less than the recommended allowance. What can I do?
Ask why, in writing. The allowance is a floor, and there is an explicit expectation of parity between foster and kinship carers.
This is an estimate, not legal advice. Financial support for special guardians is discretionary, and there is no fixed amount you can require your council to pay. It shows you the figure your council should be starting from, and what the rules and the published decisions say about how it has to decide.
Your council can lawfully pay less than the maximum after properly assessing your circumstances. If something here matters to your case, talk to one of the advice lines below before you rely on it.
Where these figures and rules come from
- Scottish Recommended Allowance for foster and kinship carers, Scottish Government, page updated 11 May 2026 (checked 2026-08-31)A national minimum for foster and kinship carers alike. Councils may pay more.
Related guides
Who can help
These organisations give free, independent advice on kinship care and special guardianship. They are not part of your council.
- Kinship: advice and peer support for kinship carers. kinship.org.uk
- Family Rights Group: free advice line for families dealing with children's services. frg.org.uk
- Citizens Advice: benefits, debt and general advice. citizensadvice.org.uk
- Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (England), if you have complained to your council and are not satisfied. lgo.org.uk