Rochdale Borough Council: foster carer allowances 2026-27.

Rochdale Borough 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.

Rochdale pays a basic maintenance allowance for each child across four age bands, plus a weekly fee for the carer at Level 2 or the higher Level 3. 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 Rochdale's fostering team.

Weekly allowance by age

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

Fees paid to the carer

Rochdale pays a weekly fee to the carer on top of the child's basic maintenance allowance; the level, from 2 to 3, is discussed during assessment and confirmed after approval at fostering panel.

Rochdale Borough Council weekly fostering fees, 2026-27
Level	Per week
Level 2 (approved foster carers)	£176.16
Level 3 (enhanced foster carers)	£330.31

Also published by the council

Birthday allowance worth one week's basic maintenance allowance
Festival allowance worth one week's basic maintenance allowance
Holiday allowance once a year, worth two weeks' basic maintenance allowance

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 Rochdale (6).

Source

Foster carer payments and allowances (Rochdale 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 Councils usually change their rates each April; if this page is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.