Leicester City Council: foster carer allowances 2026-27.

Leicester City Council publishes the weekly allowances it pays its own foster carers: £182 to £267 per child for 2026-27, plus a fee for the carer. These are the council’s figures, taken from its website on 30 October 2026.

Leicester pays a weekly amount for each child by age, plus a weekly accreditation payment per child that starts at £50 for newly approved carers and is higher for established, enhanced and specialist carers. The council's page does not state which year the rates apply to, so we have listed them under the current financial year; check the latest figures with the fostering team.

Weekly allowance by age

Leicester City Council weekly fostering allowance by age band, 2026-27
Age of child	Per week
0 to 4	£182
5 to 10	£201
11 to 15	£227
16 and over	£267

Fees paid to the carer

Leicester adds a weekly accreditation payment for each child on top of the age-related payment, and the amount rises with the carer's level or scheme.

Leicester City Council weekly fostering fees, 2026-27
Level	Per week
Level 1 (newly approved foster carers)Per child	£50
Level 2 (established foster carers, over 1 year)Per child	£90
Enhanced fosteringPer child	£250
Specialist fosteringPer child, for children aged 5 and over	£440

Also published by the council

One extra week's allowance just before the child's birthday
One extra week's allowance at the start of December for Christmas, or at another major religious festival if that suits the child better
Two extra weeks' allowance a year for holidays, for each child

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 Leicester (4).

Source

Fostering payments & benefits (Leicester City Council), checked 30 October 2026. Councils usually change their rates each April; if this page is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.