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What is the National Minimum Allowance for foster carers?
The National Minimum Allowance (NMA) is the statutory weekly minimum every local authority in England must pay a foster carer for each child, set in three regional bands and uplifted each year - it's a floor, not a typical wage, and many carers are paid above it.
Written by Sam Allcock · Last updated 24 August 2026 · Last reviewed 24 August 2026
What the NMA actually is
The NMA is a statutory floor: every local authority in England must pay at least this much per child, per week, to cover the child's food, clothing and everyday costs while in a foster placement. It is set nationally and reviewed annually. [The Fostering Network, allowances page]
Independent fostering agencies (IFAs) are not required to use the NMA as their baseline in the same statutory way, and in practice most pay more - the sector-average IFA weekly fee is £526, against a sector-average local authority weekly fee of £499. See our local authority vs independent agency comparison for the fuller picture.
The full 2025/26 table
Figures are in pounds per week, by region and child's age band.
| Region | 0–2 | 3–4 | 5–10 | 11–15 | 16–17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | £198 | £201 | £225 | £257 | £299 |
| South East England | £189 | £196 | £216 | £247 | £288 |
| Rest of England | £170 | £176 | £194 | £220 | £258 |
Source: The Fostering Network, National Minimum Allowance table, 2025/26. See our calculator to work out the range for a specific region, age and route, and the 2026/27 rates page for what's changing next.
Why it's set in three bands, not one national figure
The NMA is banded by region because the cost of caring for a child varies with the local cost of living - London carries the highest rate, the rest of England the lowest, and South East England sits in between. There is no further town or council-level variation within these three bands in the published data, so figures don't get more granular than this regionally, whatever a specific council's own local top-up policy might add on top.
The uplift history
The NMA rises each year. A 3.55% uplift was applied for 2025/26, announced in January 2025. A further 3.35% uplift was announced in January 2026, for 2026/27 - a smaller percentage rise than the year before. [The Fostering Network, allowances page] See the full breakdown of what that means in pounds on our 2026/27 rates page.
What the NMA doesn't cover, and the campaign for more
The Fostering Network separately campaigns for allowances closer to the Minimum Income Standard - £251/week (0-4), £343/week (5-10) and £434/week (11+) for 2026/27 - which is markedly higher than the statutory NMA. This is an advocacy position, not the amount currently paid, and we're deliberately careful not to blur the two, since presenting a campaign figure as the real rate is exactly the kind of misleading allowance claim this site exists to correct.
Tax treatment
Most foster carers pay no income tax on their fostering income, thanks to Qualifying Care Relief (QCR), which exempts a generous fixed amount plus a per-child weekly sum from tax. This "tax-free" framing is accurate for the majority of carers but isn't unlimited, and depends on total household income and number of children placed - worth checking your specific position with HMRC or an accountant rather than assuming.
Frequently asked questions
Is the National Minimum Allowance the same everywhere in England?
No. It is set in three regional bands - London, South East England, and the rest of England - with London the highest and the rest of England the lowest, reflecting cost-of-living differences.
Do foster carers pay tax on the National Minimum Allowance?
Most foster carers pay no income tax on it, because of Qualifying Care Relief, which exempts fostering income up to a generous threshold plus a per-child weekly amount - though this depends on individual circumstances.
What happens to the allowance between placements?
It stops. The allowance is paid per child, per placement - if you don't have a child placed with you, you are not paid, which is the central reason this is described as not a salary.