Scottish Borders Council: foster carer allowances 2026-27.
Scottish Borders Council publishes the weekly allowances it pays its own foster carers: £177.68 to £283.35 per child for 2026-27, plus a fee for the carer. These are the council’s figures, taken from its website on 2 November 2026.
Scottish Borders Council publishes its fees and allowances as of April 2026, with child allowances at the Scottish Recommended Allowance rates and a per-child fee for the carer on top. A level one carer looking after a child aged 5 to 15 would receive £206.71 in allowance and £194.29 in fee each week.
Weekly allowance by age
| Age of child | Per week |
|---|---|
| 0 to 4 | £177.68 |
| 5 to 15 | £206.71 |
| 16 and over | £283.35 |
Fees paid to the carer
The Scottish Borders pays a fee for each child placed, at level one or level two, on top of the child's allowance; the retainer replaces fees and allowances while a carer has no child living with them.
| Level | Per week |
|---|---|
| Level one (per child) | £194.29 |
| Level two (per child) | £259.10 |
| Retainer (no child placed, up to eight weeks) | £128.23 |
Also published by the council
- Allowances and fees are paid over 56 weeks a year rather than 52
- The extra four weeks cover a birthday payment of one week's allowance, a summer payment of two weeks' allowance and a Christmas payment of one week's allowance
How this compares
The national minimum allowance in Scotland is £177.68 to £283.35 a week depending on age (Scottish Recommended Allowance, 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
Foster carer fees and allowances (Scottish Borders Council), checked 2 November 2026. Councils usually change their rates each April; if this page is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.