An adoption allowance can be paid by the Local Authority or Adoptive Agency to adoptive parents or to someone with whom a child has been placed for adoption in a number of circumstances.

These include where the child has additional needs, requires special care for a disability or behavioural difficulties involving extra expense, to meet recurring transport costs for contact with birth family, legal costs, adaptations to the home, or just in fact to ensure that the adopter can look after the child. This is not an exhaustive list.

Any allowance will usually take into account your financial resources as a family, any other allowance or benefit received by you, your reasonable outgoings and the financial needs of the child. It may be possible to challenge the level of allowance if it is significantly less than the fostering rates.

The team at the Adoption Legal Centre can advice on applying for an adoption allowance or challenging the rate of an allowance already received.