Below are some frequently asked questions about the new Kinship Zone Pilot.
Q: What is the Kinship Allowance Pilot?
A: The Kinship Allowance Pilot is a test‑and‑learn programme the government is testing in seven local authority areas, that will be known as Kinship Zones, across England, to understand whether paying eligible kinship carers an allowance equivalent to the Fostering National Minimum Allowance improves placement stability and outcomes for children.
Q: Why is the government running a pilot at all, when the case for allowances seems clear?
A: The purpose is to build robust evidence about what support works best at scale for kinship families before taking decisions about any potential national offer.
Q: How long will the pilot run for?
A: The pilot is expected to run for three and a half years, with the first two years of funding confirmed. Decisions about later years will be made at the next fiscal decision point.
Q: Who is eligible to apply for the allowance?
A: Further information on who is eligible to apply for this allowance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-to-become-a-kinship-allowance-pilot-provider.
Q: Does eligibility depend on whether my local authority is part of the pilot?
A: Yes. Payments are only available to eligible kinship carers residing in the seven Kinship Zones (Bexley, Bolton, Newcastle, North East Lincolnshire, Medway, Thurrock and Wiltshire).
Q: What happens if I already receive an allowance from my local authority?
A: You may continue to receive existing support. Kinship Zone local authorities will provide advice on how the pilot interacts with current local policies.
Q: Does this apply where a Special Guardianship Order Allowance has already ended or is about to end?
A: Where an SGO allowance has already formally ended, the pilot does not reinstate it automatically. Eligibility will depend on whether the carer meets the pilot criteria at the point of application and whether the relevant local authority is a Kinship Zone.
Q: Will kinship carers whose Special Guardianship Order allowance stopped after two years now receive payments again under the pilot?
A: There is no automatic entitlement to the pilot, eligibility depends on:
- holding a relevant legal order, and
- living in, or being supported by, a Kinship Zone LA.
The pilot does not automatically restore previous SGO or other allowances.
Q: Will I have to complete foster‑carer‑style training to receive the allowance?
A: No. The pilot is not a fostering scheme and does not require foster carer training.
Q: Can I opt out of the pilot?
A: Yes. Carers are not obliged to claim the allowance.
Q: How much is the allowance?
A: The allowance will be paid at the Fostering National Minimum Allowance rate.
Q: Is it means‑tested?
A: The allowance is not means tested.
Q: Will receiving the Kinship Allowance affect my benefits?
A: Receipt of the Kinship Allowance in pilot local authorities will not affect any of the following:
- Universal Credit including the Child Element
- Child benefit
- Guardian’s allowance
- Tax-free childcare entitlements
- Pension Credit (except where the allowance is saved as capital)
- Housing Benefit for customers over state pension age (except where the allowance is saved as capital)
For more information, please speak to the kinship zone local authority.
Q: When does support start?
A: Delivery begins on 1st April 2026. Local authorities will begin local outreach and engagement with local kinship families after the announcement.
Q: How will families hear about the offer?
A: Local authorities will lead local communication in the Kinship Zones. The department released a press release on 27th February 2026. For more information: Government launches investment in support for kinship carers – GOV.UK
Q: How do I claim?
A: Local authorities in the seven Kinship Zones will lead local communication and outreach. They will inform eligible carers about how and when to apply and provide details after go‑live on 1 April 2026.
Q: How long will I receive the allowance for?
A: Eligible carers will receive the allowance for the duration of the funded pilot period in their area. Funding is confirmed for the first two years; later years depend on fiscal decisions.
Q: What happens after year two?
A: Government has confirmed funding for the first two years, because this aligns with the current spending round. Like all multi‑year programmes, any funding beyond this period must be agreed through the next Spending Review, once fiscal decisions for future years are taken.
Q: Why is the pilot 3 and a half years?
A: The pilot runs for three and a half years so that we can test what works at scale for kinship families and generate robust evidence across different local contexts. The programme has been deliberately designed as a test‑and‑learn approach, with a concurrent independent evaluation to understand impact, implementation, and value for money over time.
Q: Why not publish the total funding or the full three year figure?
A: The government is confirming funding for the first two years now to provide certainty to partners while we test and learn. Decisions about later years will be taken at the next fiscal decision point. Publishing an indicative figure for later years could mislead families and partners when those numbers are not yet confirmed.
Q: Why have these 7 areas been selected?
A: The seven local authorities were selected following an expression of interest process held last June. The applicants that passed the criteria where then randomly selected by an algorithm. Together, the seven local authority areas offer a useful mix of geography, demographics, and service models. This was intentional as the pilot is designed to test what works at scale in varied local contexts, so robust learning can be generated for future decisions.
As the programme is a time‑limited test‑and‑learn pilot, the aim was not to create a national offer but to select a set of areas whose data would collectively produce a robust evidence base. Lessons will be published and used to inform future policy decisions. You can find more information about the Expression of Interest process here: Kinship Allowance Pilot – GOV-UK Find a grant.
Q: Is this a postcode lottery?
A: This is a time limited pilot to test what works at scale in a range of local contexts. Lessons will be published and will inform future decisions. Selection focused on readiness to deliver, need, and spread, to generate robust evidence rather than to create permanent geographic differences.
Q: Why are there fewer local authority areas than originally suggested?
A: The Department expected to pilot this allowance in up to ten local authorities. However, the seven areas selected offer a combination of the strongest conditions for generating robust evidence across diverse local contexts while working within budget restraints.
Q: What about the local authorities that were not selected?
A: We are grateful for the strong interest. We will share early learning and tools so that improvement may spread beyond the pilot sites. We will keep the wider sector informed through regular updates.
Q: Is this really new money?
A: This is a significant allocation for kinship care within the children’s social care programme. The focus is on quality and outcomes rather than on headline figures. The pilot will generate evidence to inform future decisions.
Q: What will be studied in the evaluation?
A: The evaluation will assess the impact, implementation, and value for money of the Kinship Allowance Pilot in the Kinship Zones. The evaluation will determine whether the allowance improves outcomes for children and carers, reduces pressure on the care system, and represents good value for public money. It will also generate learning to inform future policy design and potential national rollout.
Q: What data will be collected to inform the evaluation?
A: The evaluation will use administrative data from the National Pupil Database and local authority monitoring systems to track care arrangements, stability, formalisation, and children’s outcomes. It will also gather survey and qualitative data from kinship carers to understand their experiences and financial circumstances, alongside interviews and focus groups with local authority staff to explore how the allowance is delivered in practice.
Q: How will the National Kinship Care Ambassador (NKCA) work with the Kinship Zones?
A: The NKCA will act as a national champion for kinship care and will support the Kinship Zones by amplifying the aims of the pilot and helping raise awareness among kinship families. The NKCA’s role is to support national communication as well as local delivery, including supporting the development of Kinship Zone plans across the participating local authorities. The NKCA will highlight good practice that emerges from the pilot and will help promote lessons learned as they are published. Engagement with each Kinship Zone will be focused on visibility, helping families understand the purpose of the pilot, and supporting clear and consistent messaging across England. Local authorities will remain responsible for all operational delivery and local engagement.
Q: How will voluntary and community partners be involved?
A: Each Kinship Zone is expected to work with local voluntary and community organisations where they add value and can increase reach and trust.
Q: If there is a change of government, or the decision is made not to roll the kinship allowance out nationally, what support is in place for the kinship carers who do receive this allowance?
A: Kinship carers who start receiving the allowance as part of the pilot will continue to receive the support they are entitled to for the duration of the funded period. Funding for the first two years is confirmed, and delivery begins on 1 April 2026.
Q: Why can’t I get financial support as an informal kinship carer?
A: The pilot is testing the allowance for kinship carers who have a legal order (a Special Guardianship Order or a Child Arrangement Order that says the child lives with the kinship carer). This helps us understand what impact an allowance has on the stability of the placement and the outcomes for the child or children. There are no current plans to expand the pilot to carers without a legal order.
Q: What if my local authority is not a pilot area and I do not receive an allowance?
A: Kinship carers outside the pilot can continue to access support from national organisations as well as local authority services. For support and guidance, you may wish to reach out to the Family Rights Group, or Kinship, a national kinship care charity who provide DfE-funded peer support, training and advice to all kinship carers in England. You can find more information about these programmes on www.kinship.org.uk.
Q: Why aren’t you rolling it out everywhere? We know it works.
A: The purpose of the pilot is to build the evidence needed to understand what support makes the biggest difference for kinship families. Rolling it out everywhere now, before that evidence is gathered, could lead to inconsistencies or unintended consequences. Testing the approach first allows the government to learn what works, what doesn’t, and how to make any future offer sustainable.
Q: Will you definitely roll it out to everyone in 3 years?
A: No decisions have been taken about national rollout yet. Funding for the first two years of the pilot is confirmed, and any future decisions will depend on what the evaluation shows and on future government spending decisions. The findings will be published so that families and the sector can see what has been learned.
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