Aberdeenshire Council: foster carer allowances 2026-27.
Aberdeenshire Council publishes the weekly allowances it pays its own foster carers: £191.13 to £307.79 per child for 2026-27. These are the council’s figures, taken from its website on 2 November 2026.
Aberdeenshire's weekly allowances, effective from April 2026, vary with the child's age and cover the child's food, clothing, pocket money, activities and travel. On top, each fostering household receives an annual skills payment, paid four-weekly, which starts at £10,431.21 for newly approved carers.
Weekly allowance by age
| Age of child | Per week |
|---|---|
| 0 to 4 | £191.13 |
| 5 to 10 | £222.36 |
| 11 to 15 | £252.92 |
| 16 to 18 | £307.79 |
Also published by the council
- A skills payment per household, paid every four weeks: £10,431.21 a year at level 1 (all new foster carers), £15,740.73 at level 2 (at least two years' experience) and £20,953.98 at level 3 (at least three years' experience)
- The council says it has four skills levels; the page publishes figures for the first three
How this compares
The national minimum allowance in Scotland is £177.68 to £283.35 a week depending on age (Scottish Recommended Allowance, 2026-27). The allowance covers the child’s costs; any fee is the part that is for you, and it is where councils and independent agencies differ most.
Independent agencies covering the same area publish their own weekly totals, often higher, with more expected of the carer. Use the pay calculator to see a year’s figure and the tax relief, or compare what services publish.
Thinking about fostering here? Compare every service that covers the area: Fostering agencies in Aberdeenshire (5).
Source
Allowances and payments for foster carers (Aberdeenshire Council), checked 2 November 2026. Councils usually change their rates each April; if this page is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.