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Allowances by council

Luton Borough Council: foster carer allowances 2026-27.

Luton Borough Council publishes the weekly allowances it pays its own foster carers: £189 to £288 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.

Luton pays a weekly allowance for each child across five age bands, plus a weekly skills fee per child that increases with the carer's years of fostering with the council. 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 Luton's fostering team.

Weekly allowance by age

Age of childPer week
0 to 2 years£189
3 to 4 years£196
5 to 10 years£216
11 to 15 years£257.74
16 to 17 years£288

Fees paid to the carer

Luton pays a weekly skills fee for each child on top of the allowance, and it rises with the number of years the carer has fostered with the council.

LevelPer week
First year of fostering with LutonPer child£145.90
Second to fourth year of fostering with LutonPer child£202.77
After five years of fostering with LutonPer child£259.13

Also published by the council

  • Birthday allowance of £100 for children up to 10 and £150 for those aged 11 to 18
  • Festive allowance of £100 for children up to 10 and £150 for those aged 11 to 18
  • Holiday allowance of £400 for each child
  • A £1,000 contribution to the Council Tax bill for carers looking after a child at the start of the Council Tax year on 1 April
  • Part of the weekly allowance is put aside as savings for the 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 Luton (8).

Source

Fostering allowances and fees (Luton Borough 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 Councils usually change their rates each April; if this page is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.

Other councils in England