Walsall Council: foster carer allowances 2026-27.

Walsall 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.

Walsall's rates apply from April 2026: a weekly allowance for each child in four age bands, plus a weekly household fee that rises with the number of children and is higher for advanced carers. Council tax help and birthday, festival and holiday payments come on top.

Weekly allowance by age

Walsall 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 years and over	£267

Fees paid to the carer

Walsall pays two weekly amounts, a fee for the carer and an allowance for each child; the fee is set for the household and depends on the type of carer and how many children are placed.

Walsall Council weekly fostering fees, 2026-27
Level	Per week
Generic foster carer, 1 childHousehold fee	£246
Generic foster carer, 2 childrenHousehold fee	£402
Generic foster carer, 3 childrenHousehold fee	£514
Generic foster carer, 4 childrenHousehold fee	£642
Advanced foster carer, 1 childHousehold fee	£307
Advanced foster carer, 2 childrenHousehold fee	£536
Advanced foster carer, 3 childrenHousehold fee	£770
Advanced foster carer, 4 childrenHousehold fee	£963
New Horizon Mockingbird, 1 childHousehold fee	£900

Also published by the council

Birthday and festival payments each worth one week's allowance for the child's age
Summer holiday payment worth two weeks' allowance
No council tax for carers who live in the Walsall borough; carers living elsewhere get a regular payment equal to their annual council tax bill
Current carers receive £1,000 if someone they refer is approved as a foster carer

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 Walsall (9).

Source

Payments, allowances and benefits (Walsall 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.