Bristol City Council: foster carer allowances 2026-27.

Bristol City Council publishes the weekly allowances it pays its own foster carers: £181.95 to £296.16 per child for 2026-27, plus a fee for the carer. These are the council’s figures, taken from its website on 29 October 2026.

Bristol pays every foster carer a Level 1 weekly allowance by the child's age, and adds a fixed weekly fee per child for carers at Level 2 or Level 3. The council's page does not state which year the rates apply to, so check the current figures with Bristol's fostering team before you apply.

Weekly allowance by age

Bristol City Council weekly fostering allowance by age band, 2026-27
Age of child	Per week
0 to 2	£181.95
3 to 4	£188.37
5 to 10	£207.64
11 to 15	£243.32
16 to 17	£296.16
18 and over (Staying Put)	£296.16

Fees paid to the carer

All Bristol carers receive the Level 1 weekly allowance for each child; carers at Level 2 or 3 also receive a fixed weekly fee per child.

Bristol City Council weekly fostering fees, 2026-27
Level	Per week
Level 2Per child, on top of the Level 1 allowance	£160
Level 3Per child, on top of the Level 1 allowance	£250

Also published by the council

Birthday and Christmas or religious festival payments for each child, from £170 to £276.71 each depending on age
Several school holiday payments through the year, set by the child's age
Start-up grant of up to £500 for new mainstream carers
Parent and child placements paid at £800 a week per family
Reimbursement if a carer loses the single person council tax discount because a young person aged 18 or over stays on

How this compares

The national minimum allowance in England is £176 to £309 a week depending on the child’s age and the region (GOV.UK, 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 Bristol (10).

Source

Fees (Foster with Bristol City Council), checked 29 October 2026. Councils usually change their rates each April; if this page is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.