Family and friends carers

Who can apply

You can apply for the Kinship Allowance if you are a Kinship Carer with a formal arrangement, including:

• a Child Arrangements Order (CAO)
• a Special Guardianship Order (SGO)
• a Residence Order (issued in April 2014 or earlier)

These orders may have been made privately or by the local authority.

You can also apply if:

• you are in private court proceedings for an SGO or CAO, and
• you have passed the First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment (FHDRA)

If you are unsure whether this applies to you, your solicitor can advise.

The application form opens 1 April 2026.

This allowance is not means tested.

How to apply

To apply, email: SGOAdmin@thurrock.gov.uk

As part of the application, you will need to upload a copy of your:

• SGO
• CAO, or
• Residence Order

Will the allowance affect my benefits?

If you live in a local authority that is part of the Kinship Zones pilot, the allowance will not affect:

• Universal Credit (including the Child Element)
• Child Benefit
• Guardian’s Allowance
• Tax‑Free Childcare
• Pension Credit (unless the allowance is saved as capital)
• Housing Benefit for people over State Pension age (unless saved as capital)

When payments will start

If you are eligible, we will ask you for:

• your bank details (if we do not already have them), and
• proof that the child currently lives with you.

We aim to pay the Kinship Allowance within four weeks of confirming your eligibility. Eligibility is confirmed once you have provided all the information we have requested.

If you already receive an allowance

If you currently receive a Kinship Allowance, you will be asked to apply to be part of the Kinship Pilot, your Kinship allowance will continue to be paid weekly along with identified increments.

• SGO
• CAO, or
• Residence Order

Why apply for the new allowance?

• your current allowance may be reduced based on income and Child Benefit
• the new allowance is paid in full and is not reduced by other income
• it is paid in full even if you receive Child Benefit

The new allowance is paid at the National Minimum Fostering Allowance rate.

To move to the new allowance, please email: SGOAdmin@thurrock.gov.uk

If you currently receive no allowance

This allowance is not means tested, so you may be eligible even if you do not currently receive any payments.

We will need to check your court order to confirm eligibility.

How long you will receive the allowance

The pilot is expected to run for three and a half years from 1 April 2026. Eligible carers are expected to receive payments for the duration of the pilot, however payments will be subject to a funding review after the first two years.

The allowance will stop if:

• the child turns 18, or
• the child no longer lives with you.

You must tell us if a child stops living with you. This will also be checked as part of your annual review.

What happens once payments begin

If you are eligible, the allowance will be paid weekly into your bank account.

Each year, we will contact you to:

• check how you and the child are doing
• confirm that the child or children still live with you
• remind you that the pilot runs until September 2029
• share updates about the pilot
• invite you to complete an annual evaluation survey (voluntary and does not affect your allowance)

You may also be invited to take part in focus groups or interviews. Participation is voluntary and will not affect your allowance.

Privacy notice and data sharing

To take part in the pilot, you must read and agree to the privacy notice. This explains how your information will be used.

Some of your data will be shared with:

• the Department for Education
• Alma Economics
• Foundations

If the pilot ends after three and a half years and you were already receiving a means‑tested allowance before the pilot began, you will continue to receive your original allowance.