Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department plans to assess the outcomes of the kinship allowance trial scheme.

The government recognises the important role that kinship carers play in caring for some of the most vulnerable children.

In October 2024, we announced a £40 million package to trial a kinship allowance in up to ten local authorities. The pilot will provide a weekly financial allowance to kinship carers to support them with the additional costs incurred when taking on the parental responsibility of a child.

The kinship allowance pilot will begin in autumn 2025, with assessment of immediate impact and options for national rollout informed by an independent evaluation. The department will confirm the eligible cohort for the pilot, as well as the participating local authorities, in due course.