Newcastle City Council: foster carer allowances 2026-27.

Newcastle 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.

Newcastle pays the same weekly allowance by the child's age at every tier, plus a weekly fee per child that rises with the complexity of the child's needs, so a Tier 1 carer receives £288.65 to £426.98 a week for one child. 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

Newcastle 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

Newcastle adds a weekly fee for each child on top of the allowance; the fee depends on the tier of care (Tier 3 is for children with disabilities or severe emotional and behavioural needs) and the child's age.

Newcastle City Council weekly fostering fees, 2026-27
Level	Per week
Tier 1 (mainstream), child aged 0 to 4Per child	£106.65
Tier 1 (mainstream), child aged 5 and overPer child	£159.98
Tier 2 (complex needs), child aged 0 to 4Per child	£159.98
Tier 2 (complex needs), child aged 5 and overPer child	£213.30
Tier 3, child aged 0 to 4Per child	£203.98
Tier 3, child aged 5 to 10Per child	£267.47
Tier 3, child aged 11 and overPer child	£275.88

Also published by the council

Tier 4 (Build a Future, and parent and child placements) pays a combined allowance and fee of £760 a week per child
Tier 5 (Change a Future) pays a combined allowance and fee of £1,015 a week per child, and emergency foster carers can receive a £350 retainer
Daily and half-day rates are published for respite care at each tier

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.

Source

Fees and allowances (Newcastle 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.