Northumberland County Council: foster carer allowances 2026-27.

Northumberland County Council publishes the weekly allowances it pays its own foster carers: £176 to £267 per child for 2026-27, plus a fee for the carer. These are the council’s figures, taken from its website on 3 November 2026.

Northumberland pays a weekly allowance for each child in five age bands for April 2026 to March 2027, plus a weekly fee for the carer that rises through three bands, with a higher fee for Mockingbird hub carers. Full-time carers get a guaranteed fee, and payments are made every two weeks.

Weekly allowance by age

Northumberland County Council weekly fostering allowance by age band, 2026-27
Age of child	Per week
0 to 2 years	£176
3 to 4 years	£182
5 to 10 years	£201
11 to 15 years	£227
16 to 17 years	£267

Fees paid to the carer

Carers move up the fee bands as they build skills, experience and training, and an extra fee is paid for each additional child; the page dates the allowance table April 2026 to March 2027 but gives no separate date for the fee table.

Northumberland County Council weekly fostering fees, 2026-27
Level	Per week
Band 1	£117
Band 2	£233
Band 3	£289
Mockingbird Hub Carer	£820
Short break carerFor carers available at least one weekend a month and two weeks of the school holidays	£58

Also published by the council

Holiday, birthday and festival allowances (amounts not published on the page)
Up to 14 days' paid leave a year covering the fee, plus up to 14 more days for holidays with the children
Fee kept for up to three months off sick
Mileage at 45p a mile for travel beyond everyday care

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 Northumberland (3).

Source

Financial support, fees and allowances (Foster with Northumberland, Northumberland County Council), checked 3 November 2026. Councils usually change their rates each April; if this page is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.