I have been fostering a 10-year old girl for six months. During a routine dental checkup, we were advised that she would benefit from orthodontic treatment due to an overcrowded jaw; part of this would involve a general anaesthetic for removal of several teeth. Am I able to sign the consent form for my foster child's general anaesthetic procedure?

Your foster child’s placement plan should tell you what decisions you can make, known as delegated authority.

Help and support for foster parents

Training and development

You need to complete the training, support, and development standards workbook within 12 months of being approved to foster.

Contact your fostering service to find out what other training and development is available. They should help you:

with a personal development plan

take part in learning and development sessions

The Foster Carers’ Charter explains your rights as a foster parent.

You do not have a statutory right to time off work to care for foster children.

If you’re fostering for adoption you’ll be entitled to adoption pay and leave from when the child comes to live with you.

If you’re considering fostering, find out about becoming a foster parent.

Help with the cost of fostering

All foster parents get a foster care allowance to help cover the cost of caring for a child. You might get additional payments, depending on:

if the child has specific needs

how many children you’re fostering

your skills and experience

your fostering service

Contact your fostering service to find out how much you get.

Minimum weekly allowance

The minimum allowance you’ll get depends on where you live and the age of the child you care for.

| Age 0 to 2 | Age 3 to 4 | Age 5 to 10 | Age 11 to 15 | Age 16 to 17

London | £155 | £158 | £177 | £201 | £235

South East | £149 | £153 | £169 | £193 | £226

Rest of England | £134 | £138 | £152 | £173 | £202

These figures are for the tax year from 6 April 2021 to 5 April 2022. They’re updated every April.

Allowance rates when the child is 18

Children stop being in care when they reach 18, even if they’re still living with you. There is no minimum allowance when your child is old enough to leave foster care.

Contact your fostering service for more information.

Expenses

You may be able to apply to your fostering service for extra money to help with things like:

school trips

holidays

birthdays

religious festivals

Tax arrangements

You should have registered as self-employed when you started to foster. You’ll need to file tax returns. Check with your fostering service what you need to do.

In your tax return, you’ll be able to claim:

a tax exemption of up to £10,000 per household

tax relief for every week you foster a child

This is known as qualifying care relief.

You may be entitled to National Insurance credits, which count towards your State Pension.

Tax exemption

In a tax year, households do not pay tax on the first £10,000 they earn from fostering. You’ll still pay tax on money you earn from a job or investment.

Tax relief

On top of the £10,000 exemption, you also get tax relief for every week (or part week) that a child is in your care. This means you do not have to pay tax on some of your earnings over £10,000.

Age of child | Tax relief

Under 11 | £200 per child

11 or over | £250 per child

Claiming benefits

Being a foster parent can affect your benefits. Check a benefits calculator to see what you’re eligible for.

If you’re claiming benefits you need to tell the organisation that pays you that you’re also getting a foster care allowance.

You can get disability benefits for your foster child if they meet the criteria. You may also be able to claim Carer’s Allowance if your foster child gets Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment.

For more help on how your benefits may change you can speak to an adviser from:

the organisation that pays you

Fosterline - a free fostering advice service

Making decisions for your foster child

Your foster child’s placement plan should tell you what decisions you can make, known as delegated authority.

There are 3 different levels to delegated authority:

day-to-day decisions like dental check ups, hair cuts, school trips, parent-teacher meetings and letting your child go to sleepovers

long-term decisions like which school a child goes to

significant decisions made by the local authority and birth parents, like surgery

If your child’s placement plan does not tell you what level of delegated authority you have you should contact your fostering service to find out.

You may not have the same level of authority for each child you foster. For example, you might foster 2 children and have the right to sign a consent form for one of them.

Going on holiday

If you do not have the authority to take your foster child on holiday you’ll need to speak to their social worker.

You’ll also need to:

tell your child’s social worker when you’ll be going and when you’ll be back

get a letter of consent from your child’s social worker for passport control (if you’re going abroad)

Medical treatment for your foster child

You may not have the right to give consent to medical treatment. Check your child placement plan to find out if you have the authority to let your foster child have:

medication

a medical examination

local or general anaesthetic

surgery

Getting support

You should get support from your fostering service, your local council and social workers. You can also get support and advice from Fosterline.

Your local council must provide your foster child with a personal adviser from age 16 or 17 to age 25. They will help your foster child move to independent living or support them to stay with you (this is called a ‘staying put’ arrangement).

Extra support is available when your foster child reaches age 16, 18 and 21.

Support from your fostering service

Your foster child gets a placement plan. This tells you about the child and their needs. The fostering service should invite you to meetings on your foster child’s progress and placement plan.

Your family should get:

access to an out of hours advice and support service

access to support groups

practical, financial and emotional support

training and a personal development plan, which is reviewed every year

an opportunity to take a break from fostering if you need it

Dealing with allegations

If an allegation is made against you or anyone in your home, your local authority must:

investigate it

support you through it

update you on progress

help resolve any disagreements

They may remove your foster child from your home or ask the person the allegation is about to leave. They will also look at the safety of any other children in your home.

Support from social workers

You’ll have contact with 2 social workers:

your foster child’s social worker - they make sure you meet the child’s needs

a supervising social worker to help and support you as a foster parent

Your supervising social worker is there to support you as a foster parent. Contact them if you need:

emotional support

to talk about any concerns or worries you have about your foster child

help to develop your skills as a foster parent

Your social workers must make sure you understand their policies on fostering, including:

how to manage your foster child’s behaviour

financial support for foster parents

complaints

They must review your approval to foster at least once a year to make sure you’re still suitable.

Social workers may decide to have some meetings without you if they think it’s best for the foster child.

Social worker visits

Your child’s social worker must visit you and your foster child:

in the first week the child comes to live with you

once every 6 weeks in the first year

every 3 to 6 months after the child has lived with you for a year

They must also visit you once a year without telling you they’re coming.

You or your foster child can ask for more visits from the social worker.

Ending a placement

You must give 28 days’ notice to your social worker if you no longer wish to be the child’s foster parent.

Support from Fosterline

Call Fosterline for free to get advice on fostering.

They can provide help and advice about fostering, including information about:

finances

training

dealing with allegations

There are 3 different levels to delegated authority:

Help and support for foster parents

Training and development

You need to complete the training, support, and development standards workbook within 12 months of being approved to foster.

Contact your fostering service to find out what other training and development is available. They should help you:

with a personal development plan

take part in learning and development sessions

The Foster Carers’ Charter explains your rights as a foster parent.

You do not have a statutory right to time off work to care for foster children.

If you’re fostering for adoption you’ll be entitled to adoption pay and leave from when the child comes to live with you.

If you’re considering fostering, find out about becoming a foster parent.

Help with the cost of fostering

All foster parents get a foster care allowance to help cover the cost of caring for a child. You might get additional payments, depending on:

if the child has specific needs

how many children you’re fostering

your skills and experience

your fostering service

Contact your fostering service to find out how much you get.

Minimum weekly allowance

The minimum allowance you’ll get depends on where you live and the age of the child you care for.

| Age 0 to 2 | Age 3 to 4 | Age 5 to 10 | Age 11 to 15 | Age 16 to 17

London | £155 | £158 | £177 | £201 | £235

South East | £149 | £153 | £169 | £193 | £226

Rest of England | £134 | £138 | £152 | £173 | £202

These figures are for the tax year from 6 April 2021 to 5 April 2022. They’re updated every April.

Allowance rates when the child is 18

Contact your fostering service for more information.

Expenses

You may be able to apply to your fostering service for extra money to help with things like:

school trips

holidays

birthdays

religious festivals

Tax arrangements

In your tax return, you’ll be able to claim:

a tax exemption of up to £10,000 per household

tax relief for every week you foster a child

This is known as qualifying care relief.

You may be entitled to National Insurance credits, which count towards your State Pension.

Tax exemption

In a tax year, households do not pay tax on the first £10,000 they earn from fostering. You’ll still pay tax on money you earn from a job or investment.

Tax relief

Age of child | Tax relief

Under 11 | £200 per child

11 or over | £250 per child

Claiming benefits

Being a foster parent can affect your benefits. Check a benefits calculator to see what you’re eligible for.

If you’re claiming benefits you need to tell the organisation that pays you that you’re also getting a foster care allowance.

For more help on how your benefits may change you can speak to an adviser from:

the organisation that pays you

Fosterline - a free fostering advice service

Making decisions for your foster child

Your foster child’s placement plan should tell you what decisions you can make, known as delegated authority.

There are 3 different levels to delegated authority:

day-to-day decisions like dental check ups, hair cuts, school trips, parent-teacher meetings and letting your child go to sleepovers

long-term decisions like which school a child goes to

significant decisions made by the local authority and birth parents, like surgery

If your child’s placement plan does not tell you what level of delegated authority you have you should contact your fostering service to find out.

Going on holiday

If you do not have the authority to take your foster child on holiday you’ll need to speak to their social worker.

You’ll also need to:

tell your child’s social worker when you’ll be going and when you’ll be back

get a letter of consent from your child’s social worker for passport control (if you’re going abroad)

Medical treatment for your foster child

medication

a medical examination

local or general anaesthetic

surgery

Getting support

You should get support from your fostering service, your local council and social workers. You can also get support and advice from Fosterline.

Extra support is available when your foster child reaches age 16, 18 and 21.

Support from your fostering service

Your family should get:

access to an out of hours advice and support service

access to support groups

practical, financial and emotional support

training and a personal development plan, which is reviewed every year

an opportunity to take a break from fostering if you need it

Dealing with allegations

If an allegation is made against you or anyone in your home, your local authority must:

investigate it

support you through it

update you on progress

help resolve any disagreements

Support from social workers

You’ll have contact with 2 social workers:

your foster child’s social worker - they make sure you meet the child’s needs

a supervising social worker to help and support you as a foster parent

Your supervising social worker is there to support you as a foster parent. Contact them if you need:

emotional support

to talk about any concerns or worries you have about your foster child

help to develop your skills as a foster parent

Your social workers must make sure you understand their policies on fostering, including:

how to manage your foster child’s behaviour

financial support for foster parents

complaints

They must review your approval to foster at least once a year to make sure you’re still suitable.

Social workers may decide to have some meetings without you if they think it’s best for the foster child.

Social worker visits

Your child’s social worker must visit you and your foster child:

in the first week the child comes to live with you

once every 6 weeks in the first year

every 3 to 6 months after the child has lived with you for a year

They must also visit you once a year without telling you they’re coming.

You or your foster child can ask for more visits from the social worker.

Ending a placement

You must give 28 days’ notice to your social worker if you no longer wish to be the child’s foster parent.

Support from Fosterline

Call Fosterline for free to get advice on fostering.

They can provide help and advice about fostering, including information about:

finances

training

dealing with allegations

day-to-day decisions like dental check ups, hair cuts, school trips, parent-teacher meetings and letting your child go to sleepovers

Help and support for foster parents

Training and development

You need to complete the training, support, and development standards workbook within 12 months of being approved to foster.

Contact your fostering service to find out what other training and development is available. They should help you:

with a personal development plan

take part in learning and development sessions

The Foster Carers’ Charter explains your rights as a foster parent.

You do not have a statutory right to time off work to care for foster children.

If you’re fostering for adoption you’ll be entitled to adoption pay and leave from when the child comes to live with you.

If you’re considering fostering, find out about becoming a foster parent.

Help with the cost of fostering

All foster parents get a foster care allowance to help cover the cost of caring for a child. You might get additional payments, depending on:

if the child has specific needs

how many children you’re fostering

your skills and experience

your fostering service

Contact your fostering service to find out how much you get.

Minimum weekly allowance

The minimum allowance you’ll get depends on where you live and the age of the child you care for.

| Age 0 to 2 | Age 3 to 4 | Age 5 to 10 | Age 11 to 15 | Age 16 to 17

London | £155 | £158 | £177 | £201 | £235

South East | £149 | £153 | £169 | £193 | £226

Rest of England | £134 | £138 | £152 | £173 | £202

These figures are for the tax year from 6 April 2021 to 5 April 2022. They’re updated every April.

Allowance rates when the child is 18

Contact your fostering service for more information.

Expenses

You may be able to apply to your fostering service for extra money to help with things like:

school trips

holidays

birthdays

religious festivals

Tax arrangements

In your tax return, you’ll be able to claim:

a tax exemption of up to £10,000 per household

tax relief for every week you foster a child

This is known as qualifying care relief.

You may be entitled to National Insurance credits, which count towards your State Pension.

Tax exemption

In a tax year, households do not pay tax on the first £10,000 they earn from fostering. You’ll still pay tax on money you earn from a job or investment.

Tax relief

Age of child | Tax relief

Under 11 | £200 per child

11 or over | £250 per child

Claiming benefits

Being a foster parent can affect your benefits. Check a benefits calculator to see what you’re eligible for.

If you’re claiming benefits you need to tell the organisation that pays you that you’re also getting a foster care allowance.

For more help on how your benefits may change you can speak to an adviser from:

the organisation that pays you

Fosterline - a free fostering advice service

Making decisions for your foster child

Your foster child’s placement plan should tell you what decisions you can make, known as delegated authority.

There are 3 different levels to delegated authority:

day-to-day decisions like dental check ups, hair cuts, school trips, parent-teacher meetings and letting your child go to sleepovers

long-term decisions like which school a child goes to

significant decisions made by the local authority and birth parents, like surgery

If your child’s placement plan does not tell you what level of delegated authority you have you should contact your fostering service to find out.

Going on holiday

If you do not have the authority to take your foster child on holiday you’ll need to speak to their social worker.

You’ll also need to:

tell your child’s social worker when you’ll be going and when you’ll be back

get a letter of consent from your child’s social worker for passport control (if you’re going abroad)

Medical treatment for your foster child

medication

a medical examination

local or general anaesthetic

surgery

Getting support

You should get support from your fostering service, your local council and social workers. You can also get support and advice from Fosterline.

Extra support is available when your foster child reaches age 16, 18 and 21.

Support from your fostering service

Your family should get:

access to an out of hours advice and support service

access to support groups

practical, financial and emotional support

training and a personal development plan, which is reviewed every year

an opportunity to take a break from fostering if you need it

Dealing with allegations

If an allegation is made against you or anyone in your home, your local authority must:

investigate it

support you through it

update you on progress

help resolve any disagreements

Support from social workers

You’ll have contact with 2 social workers:

your foster child’s social worker - they make sure you meet the child’s needs

a supervising social worker to help and support you as a foster parent

Your supervising social worker is there to support you as a foster parent. Contact them if you need:

emotional support

to talk about any concerns or worries you have about your foster child

help to develop your skills as a foster parent

Your social workers must make sure you understand their policies on fostering, including:

how to manage your foster child’s behaviour

financial support for foster parents

complaints

They must review your approval to foster at least once a year to make sure you’re still suitable.

Social workers may decide to have some meetings without you if they think it’s best for the foster child.

Social worker visits

Your child’s social worker must visit you and your foster child:

in the first week the child comes to live with you

once every 6 weeks in the first year

every 3 to 6 months after the child has lived with you for a year

They must also visit you once a year without telling you they’re coming.

You or your foster child can ask for more visits from the social worker.

Ending a placement

You must give 28 days’ notice to your social worker if you no longer wish to be the child’s foster parent.

Support from Fosterline

Call Fosterline for free to get advice on fostering.

They can provide help and advice about fostering, including information about:

finances

training

dealing with allegations

If your child’s placement plan does not tell you what level of delegated authority you have you should contact your fostering service to find out.

Help and support for foster parents

Training and development

You need to complete the training, support, and development standards workbook within 12 months of being approved to foster.

Contact your fostering service to find out what other training and development is available. They should help you:

with a personal development plan

take part in learning and development sessions

The Foster Carers’ Charter explains your rights as a foster parent.

You do not have a statutory right to time off work to care for foster children.

If you’re fostering for adoption you’ll be entitled to adoption pay and leave from when the child comes to live with you.

If you’re considering fostering, find out about becoming a foster parent.

Help with the cost of fostering

All foster parents get a foster care allowance to help cover the cost of caring for a child. You might get additional payments, depending on:

if the child has specific needs

how many children you’re fostering

your skills and experience

your fostering service

Contact your fostering service to find out how much you get.

Minimum weekly allowance

The minimum allowance you’ll get depends on where you live and the age of the child you care for.

| Age 0 to 2 | Age 3 to 4 | Age 5 to 10 | Age 11 to 15 | Age 16 to 17

London | £155 | £158 | £177 | £201 | £235

South East | £149 | £153 | £169 | £193 | £226

Rest of England | £134 | £138 | £152 | £173 | £202

These figures are for the tax year from 6 April 2021 to 5 April 2022. They’re updated every April.

Allowance rates when the child is 18

Contact your fostering service for more information.

Expenses

You may be able to apply to your fostering service for extra money to help with things like:

school trips

holidays

birthdays

religious festivals

Tax arrangements

In your tax return, you’ll be able to claim:

a tax exemption of up to £10,000 per household

tax relief for every week you foster a child

This is known as qualifying care relief.

You may be entitled to National Insurance credits, which count towards your State Pension.

Tax exemption

In a tax year, households do not pay tax on the first £10,000 they earn from fostering. You’ll still pay tax on money you earn from a job or investment.

Tax relief

Age of child | Tax relief

Under 11 | £200 per child

11 or over | £250 per child

Claiming benefits

Being a foster parent can affect your benefits. Check a benefits calculator to see what you’re eligible for.

If you’re claiming benefits you need to tell the organisation that pays you that you’re also getting a foster care allowance.

For more help on how your benefits may change you can speak to an adviser from:

the organisation that pays you

Fosterline - a free fostering advice service

Making decisions for your foster child

Your foster child’s placement plan should tell you what decisions you can make, known as delegated authority.

There are 3 different levels to delegated authority:

day-to-day decisions like dental check ups, hair cuts, school trips, parent-teacher meetings and letting your child go to sleepovers

long-term decisions like which school a child goes to

significant decisions made by the local authority and birth parents, like surgery

If your child’s placement plan does not tell you what level of delegated authority you have you should contact your fostering service to find out.

Going on holiday

If you do not have the authority to take your foster child on holiday you’ll need to speak to their social worker.

You’ll also need to:

tell your child’s social worker when you’ll be going and when you’ll be back

get a letter of consent from your child’s social worker for passport control (if you’re going abroad)

Medical treatment for your foster child

medication

a medical examination

local or general anaesthetic

surgery

Getting support

You should get support from your fostering service, your local council and social workers. You can also get support and advice from Fosterline.

Extra support is available when your foster child reaches age 16, 18 and 21.

Support from your fostering service

Your family should get:

access to an out of hours advice and support service

access to support groups

practical, financial and emotional support

training and a personal development plan, which is reviewed every year

an opportunity to take a break from fostering if you need it

Dealing with allegations

If an allegation is made against you or anyone in your home, your local authority must:

investigate it

support you through it

update you on progress

help resolve any disagreements

Support from social workers

You’ll have contact with 2 social workers:

your foster child’s social worker - they make sure you meet the child’s needs

a supervising social worker to help and support you as a foster parent

Your supervising social worker is there to support you as a foster parent. Contact them if you need:

emotional support

to talk about any concerns or worries you have about your foster child

help to develop your skills as a foster parent

Your social workers must make sure you understand their policies on fostering, including:

how to manage your foster child’s behaviour

financial support for foster parents

complaints

They must review your approval to foster at least once a year to make sure you’re still suitable.

Social workers may decide to have some meetings without you if they think it’s best for the foster child.

Social worker visits

Your child’s social worker must visit you and your foster child:

in the first week the child comes to live with you

once every 6 weeks in the first year

every 3 to 6 months after the child has lived with you for a year

They must also visit you once a year without telling you they’re coming.

You or your foster child can ask for more visits from the social worker.

Ending a placement

You must give 28 days’ notice to your social worker if you no longer wish to be the child’s foster parent.

Support from Fosterline

Call Fosterline for free to get advice on fostering.

They can provide help and advice about fostering, including information about:

finances

training

dealing with allegations

Help and support for foster parents

Training and development

You need to complete the training, support, and development standards workbook within 12 months of being approved to foster.

Contact your fostering service to find out what other training and development is available. They should help you:

with a personal development plan

take part in learning and development sessions

The Foster Carers’ Charter explains your rights as a foster parent.

You do not have a statutory right to time off work to care for foster children.

If you’re fostering for adoption you’ll be entitled to adoption pay and leave from when the child comes to live with you.

If you’re considering fostering, find out about becoming a foster parent.

Help with the cost of fostering

All foster parents get a foster care allowance to help cover the cost of caring for a child. You might get additional payments, depending on:

if the child has specific needs

how many children you’re fostering

your skills and experience

your fostering service

Contact your fostering service to find out how much you get.

Minimum weekly allowance

The minimum allowance you’ll get depends on where you live and the age of the child you care for.

| Age 0 to 2 | Age 3 to 4 | Age 5 to 10 | Age 11 to 15 | Age 16 to 17

London | £155 | £158 | £177 | £201 | £235

South East | £149 | £153 | £169 | £193 | £226

Rest of England | £134 | £138 | £152 | £173 | £202

These figures are for the tax year from 6 April 2021 to 5 April 2022. They’re updated every April.

Allowance rates when the child is 18

Contact your fostering service for more information.

Expenses

You may be able to apply to your fostering service for extra money to help with things like:

school trips

holidays

birthdays

religious festivals

Tax arrangements

In your tax return, you’ll be able to claim:

a tax exemption of up to £10,000 per household

tax relief for every week you foster a child

This is known as qualifying care relief.

You may be entitled to National Insurance credits, which count towards your State Pension.

Tax exemption

In a tax year, households do not pay tax on the first £10,000 they earn from fostering. You’ll still pay tax on money you earn from a job or investment.

Tax relief

Age of child | Tax relief

Under 11 | £200 per child

11 or over | £250 per child

Claiming benefits

Being a foster parent can affect your benefits. Check a benefits calculator to see what you’re eligible for.

If you’re claiming benefits you need to tell the organisation that pays you that you’re also getting a foster care allowance.

For more help on how your benefits may change you can speak to an adviser from:

the organisation that pays you

Fosterline - a free fostering advice service

Making decisions for your foster child

Your foster child’s placement plan should tell you what decisions you can make, known as delegated authority.

There are 3 different levels to delegated authority:

day-to-day decisions like dental check ups, hair cuts, school trips, parent-teacher meetings and letting your child go to sleepovers

long-term decisions like which school a child goes to

significant decisions made by the local authority and birth parents, like surgery

If your child’s placement plan does not tell you what level of delegated authority you have you should contact your fostering service to find out.

Going on holiday

If you do not have the authority to take your foster child on holiday you’ll need to speak to their social worker.

You’ll also need to:

tell your child’s social worker when you’ll be going and when you’ll be back

get a letter of consent from your child’s social worker for passport control (if you’re going abroad)

Medical treatment for your foster child

medication

a medical examination

local or general anaesthetic

surgery

Getting support

You should get support from your fostering service, your local council and social workers. You can also get support and advice from Fosterline.

Extra support is available when your foster child reaches age 16, 18 and 21.

Support from your fostering service

Your family should get:

access to an out of hours advice and support service

access to support groups

practical, financial and emotional support

training and a personal development plan, which is reviewed every year

an opportunity to take a break from fostering if you need it

Dealing with allegations

If an allegation is made against you or anyone in your home, your local authority must:

investigate it

support you through it

update you on progress

help resolve any disagreements

Support from social workers

You’ll have contact with 2 social workers:

your foster child’s social worker - they make sure you meet the child’s needs

a supervising social worker to help and support you as a foster parent

Your supervising social worker is there to support you as a foster parent. Contact them if you need:

emotional support

to talk about any concerns or worries you have about your foster child

help to develop your skills as a foster parent

Your social workers must make sure you understand their policies on fostering, including:

how to manage your foster child’s behaviour

financial support for foster parents

complaints

They must review your approval to foster at least once a year to make sure you’re still suitable.

Social workers may decide to have some meetings without you if they think it’s best for the foster child.

Social worker visits

Your child’s social worker must visit you and your foster child:

in the first week the child comes to live with you

once every 6 weeks in the first year

every 3 to 6 months after the child has lived with you for a year

They must also visit you once a year without telling you they’re coming.

You or your foster child can ask for more visits from the social worker.

Ending a placement

You must give 28 days’ notice to your social worker if you no longer wish to be the child’s foster parent.

Support from Fosterline

Call Fosterline for free to get advice on fostering.

They can provide help and advice about fostering, including information about:

finances

training

dealing with allegations

local or general anaesthetic

Help and support for foster parents

Training and development

You need to complete the training, support, and development standards workbook within 12 months of being approved to foster.

Contact your fostering service to find out what other training and development is available. They should help you:

with a personal development plan

take part in learning and development sessions

The Foster Carers’ Charter explains your rights as a foster parent.

You do not have a statutory right to time off work to care for foster children.

If you’re fostering for adoption you’ll be entitled to adoption pay and leave from when the child comes to live with you.

If you’re considering fostering, find out about becoming a foster parent.

Help with the cost of fostering

All foster parents get a foster care allowance to help cover the cost of caring for a child. You might get additional payments, depending on:

if the child has specific needs

how many children you’re fostering

your skills and experience

your fostering service

Contact your fostering service to find out how much you get.

Minimum weekly allowance

The minimum allowance you’ll get depends on where you live and the age of the child you care for.

| Age 0 to 2 | Age 3 to 4 | Age 5 to 10 | Age 11 to 15 | Age 16 to 17

London | £155 | £158 | £177 | £201 | £235

South East | £149 | £153 | £169 | £193 | £226

Rest of England | £134 | £138 | £152 | £173 | £202

These figures are for the tax year from 6 April 2021 to 5 April 2022. They’re updated every April.

Allowance rates when the child is 18

Contact your fostering service for more information.

Expenses

You may be able to apply to your fostering service for extra money to help with things like:

school trips

holidays

birthdays

religious festivals

Tax arrangements

In your tax return, you’ll be able to claim:

a tax exemption of up to £10,000 per household

tax relief for every week you foster a child

This is known as qualifying care relief.

You may be entitled to National Insurance credits, which count towards your State Pension.

Tax exemption

In a tax year, households do not pay tax on the first £10,000 they earn from fostering. You’ll still pay tax on money you earn from a job or investment.

Tax relief

Age of child | Tax relief

Under 11 | £200 per child

11 or over | £250 per child

Claiming benefits

Being a foster parent can affect your benefits. Check a benefits calculator to see what you’re eligible for.

If you’re claiming benefits you need to tell the organisation that pays you that you’re also getting a foster care allowance.

For more help on how your benefits may change you can speak to an adviser from:

the organisation that pays you

Fosterline - a free fostering advice service

Making decisions for your foster child

Your foster child’s placement plan should tell you what decisions you can make, known as delegated authority.

There are 3 different levels to delegated authority:

day-to-day decisions like dental check ups, hair cuts, school trips, parent-teacher meetings and letting your child go to sleepovers

long-term decisions like which school a child goes to

significant decisions made by the local authority and birth parents, like surgery

If your child’s placement plan does not tell you what level of delegated authority you have you should contact your fostering service to find out.

Going on holiday

If you do not have the authority to take your foster child on holiday you’ll need to speak to their social worker.

You’ll also need to:

tell your child’s social worker when you’ll be going and when you’ll be back

get a letter of consent from your child’s social worker for passport control (if you’re going abroad)

Medical treatment for your foster child

medication

a medical examination

local or general anaesthetic

surgery

Getting support

You should get support from your fostering service, your local council and social workers. You can also get support and advice from Fosterline.

Extra support is available when your foster child reaches age 16, 18 and 21.

Support from your fostering service

Your family should get:

access to an out of hours advice and support service

access to support groups

practical, financial and emotional support

training and a personal development plan, which is reviewed every year

an opportunity to take a break from fostering if you need it

Dealing with allegations

If an allegation is made against you or anyone in your home, your local authority must:

investigate it

support you through it

update you on progress

help resolve any disagreements

Support from social workers

You’ll have contact with 2 social workers:

your foster child’s social worker - they make sure you meet the child’s needs

a supervising social worker to help and support you as a foster parent

Your supervising social worker is there to support you as a foster parent. Contact them if you need:

emotional support

to talk about any concerns or worries you have about your foster child

help to develop your skills as a foster parent

Your social workers must make sure you understand their policies on fostering, including:

how to manage your foster child’s behaviour

financial support for foster parents

complaints

They must review your approval to foster at least once a year to make sure you’re still suitable.

Social workers may decide to have some meetings without you if they think it’s best for the foster child.

Social worker visits

Your child’s social worker must visit you and your foster child:

in the first week the child comes to live with you

once every 6 weeks in the first year

every 3 to 6 months after the child has lived with you for a year

They must also visit you once a year without telling you they’re coming.

You or your foster child can ask for more visits from the social worker.

Ending a placement

You must give 28 days’ notice to your social worker if you no longer wish to be the child’s foster parent.

Support from Fosterline

Call Fosterline for free to get advice on fostering.

They can provide help and advice about fostering, including information about:

finances

training

dealing with allegations

surgery

Help and support for foster parents

Training and development

You need to complete the training, support, and development standards workbook within 12 months of being approved to foster.

Contact your fostering service to find out what other training and development is available. They should help you:

with a personal development plan

take part in learning and development sessions

The Foster Carers’ Charter explains your rights as a foster parent.

You do not have a statutory right to time off work to care for foster children.

If you’re fostering for adoption you’ll be entitled to adoption pay and leave from when the child comes to live with you.

If you’re considering fostering, find out about becoming a foster parent.

Help with the cost of fostering

All foster parents get a foster care allowance to help cover the cost of caring for a child. You might get additional payments, depending on:

if the child has specific needs

how many children you’re fostering

your skills and experience

your fostering service

Contact your fostering service to find out how much you get.

Minimum weekly allowance

The minimum allowance you’ll get depends on where you live and the age of the child you care for.

| Age 0 to 2 | Age 3 to 4 | Age 5 to 10 | Age 11 to 15 | Age 16 to 17

London | £155 | £158 | £177 | £201 | £235

South East | £149 | £153 | £169 | £193 | £226

Rest of England | £134 | £138 | £152 | £173 | £202

These figures are for the tax year from 6 April 2021 to 5 April 2022. They’re updated every April.

Allowance rates when the child is 18

Contact your fostering service for more information.

Expenses

You may be able to apply to your fostering service for extra money to help with things like:

school trips

holidays

birthdays

religious festivals

Tax arrangements

In your tax return, you’ll be able to claim:

a tax exemption of up to £10,000 per household

tax relief for every week you foster a child

This is known as qualifying care relief.

You may be entitled to National Insurance credits, which count towards your State Pension.

Tax exemption

In a tax year, households do not pay tax on the first £10,000 they earn from fostering. You’ll still pay tax on money you earn from a job or investment.

Tax relief

Age of child | Tax relief

Under 11 | £200 per child

11 or over | £250 per child

Claiming benefits

Being a foster parent can affect your benefits. Check a benefits calculator to see what you’re eligible for.

If you’re claiming benefits you need to tell the organisation that pays you that you’re also getting a foster care allowance.

For more help on how your benefits may change you can speak to an adviser from:

the organisation that pays you

Fosterline - a free fostering advice service

Making decisions for your foster child

Your foster child’s placement plan should tell you what decisions you can make, known as delegated authority.

There are 3 different levels to delegated authority:

day-to-day decisions like dental check ups, hair cuts, school trips, parent-teacher meetings and letting your child go to sleepovers

long-term decisions like which school a child goes to

significant decisions made by the local authority and birth parents, like surgery

If your child’s placement plan does not tell you what level of delegated authority you have you should contact your fostering service to find out.

Going on holiday

If you do not have the authority to take your foster child on holiday you’ll need to speak to their social worker.

You’ll also need to:

tell your child’s social worker when you’ll be going and when you’ll be back

get a letter of consent from your child’s social worker for passport control (if you’re going abroad)

Medical treatment for your foster child

medication

a medical examination

local or general anaesthetic

surgery

Getting support

You should get support from your fostering service, your local council and social workers. You can also get support and advice from Fosterline.

Extra support is available when your foster child reaches age 16, 18 and 21.

Support from your fostering service

Your family should get:

access to an out of hours advice and support service

access to support groups

practical, financial and emotional support

training and a personal development plan, which is reviewed every year

an opportunity to take a break from fostering if you need it

Dealing with allegations

If an allegation is made against you or anyone in your home, your local authority must:

investigate it

support you through it

update you on progress

help resolve any disagreements

Support from social workers

You’ll have contact with 2 social workers:

your foster child’s social worker - they make sure you meet the child’s needs

a supervising social worker to help and support you as a foster parent

Your supervising social worker is there to support you as a foster parent. Contact them if you need:

emotional support

to talk about any concerns or worries you have about your foster child

help to develop your skills as a foster parent

Your social workers must make sure you understand their policies on fostering, including:

how to manage your foster child’s behaviour

financial support for foster parents

complaints

They must review your approval to foster at least once a year to make sure you’re still suitable.

Social workers may decide to have some meetings without you if they think it’s best for the foster child.

Social worker visits

Your child’s social worker must visit you and your foster child:

in the first week the child comes to live with you

once every 6 weeks in the first year

every 3 to 6 months after the child has lived with you for a year

They must also visit you once a year without telling you they’re coming.

You or your foster child can ask for more visits from the social worker.

Ending a placement

You must give 28 days’ notice to your social worker if you no longer wish to be the child’s foster parent.

Support from Fosterline

Call Fosterline for free to get advice on fostering.

They can provide help and advice about fostering, including information about:

finances

training

dealing with allegations


I am a Farmer who has recently moved to the UK and I am planning on relocating to Scotland and buying farm land but I don't understand the different rules for Scotland compared to England. Do I need to register the land with the same organisation in England as i do in Scotland?

Register with your local Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (RPID) office if your land is in Scotland.

Register land with the Rural Land Register

Overview

You must use the Rural Land Register (RLR) to register agricultural land.

You can register any type of land or property with HM Land Registry.

You must register your land with both the RLR and HM Land Registry to claim from most land-based funding schemes, including:

Environmental Stewardship schemes

the English Woodland Grant Scheme

What to register

You only need to register land that you want to claim payments on. This includes land that:

you farm

qualifies for land-based payment schemes, for example because it has environmental value

What you’ll get

You’ll get a complete set of maps showing your registered land.

Who can register

Customer registration

You need to register as a customer with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) before you register your land. You’ll need to tell them:

the name and address of your business

who is legally responsible for your business

the address of your land, including the grid reference or postcode

who your main contact person should be and what powers they should have

The main contact person can be yourself, a person legally responsible for your business or someone independent (an agent).

You can give an agent full powers (empowerment) to deal with your land registration or partial powers (for example, they can access information but not change it).

The Rural Payments Agency has produced a leaflet about the different levels of empowerment you can give your contact person.

Call the RPA to give this information for the first time or change existing contact details for your business.

You’ll receive a Single Business Identifier for your business, and each person will get a Personal Identifier. You’ll need these to register your land.

Landlords and tenants

Either the landlord or the tenant can register land on the Rural Land Register, but the land can only be registered once.

However, it’s possible for the landlord to claim funds under one land scheme and their tenant to claim under another.

How to register land or change a registration

You can use the RLE1 form to:

register new land for the first time

make changes to land already on the Rural Land Register, for example if the boundaries change or if you sell the land to someone else

Fill in the form and post it to the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). You can either download the form below or ask the RPA to send you a pre-printed copy.

You’ll need to give your Single Business Identifier - you’ll get this when you complete the customer registration process for the first time.

You also need to enclose a map with a visible scale if you’re registering land for the first time, or if your boundaries have changed. Mark your land boundaries clearly with a fine-tipped pen.

Read the guidance on filling out form RLE1.

Contacting the RPA

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

The Rural Land Register only covers land in England.

If your land is in more than one country, you’ll need to register each piece of land separately for each country.

Contact the Rural Payments Agency if you have land in more than one country and have questions about your land in England.

Use the numbers below if you have land in more than one country and have questions about land in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales.

Land in Scotland

Land in Northern Ireland

Land in Wales

Find out about call charges.

Overview

You must use the Rural Land Register (RLR) to register agricultural land.

You can register any type of land or property with HM Land Registry.

Environmental Stewardship schemes

the English Woodland Grant Scheme

Register with your local Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (RPID) office if your land is in Scotland.

What to register

You only need to register land that you want to claim payments on. This includes land that:

you farm

qualifies for land-based payment schemes, for example because it has environmental value

What you’ll get

You’ll get a complete set of maps showing your registered land.

Who can register

Customer registration

the name and address of your business

who is legally responsible for your business

the address of your land, including the grid reference or postcode

who your main contact person should be and what powers they should have

Call the RPA to give this information for the first time or change existing contact details for your business.

Landlords and tenants

However, it’s possible for the landlord to claim funds under one land scheme and their tenant to claim under another.

How to register land or change a registration

You can use the RLE1 form to:

register new land for the first time

Read the guidance on filling out form RLE1.

Contacting the RPA

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

The Rural Land Register only covers land in England.

If your land is in more than one country, you’ll need to register each piece of land separately for each country.

Land in Scotland

Land in Northern Ireland

Land in Wales

Find out about call charges.

Overview

You must use the Rural Land Register (RLR) to register agricultural land.

You can register any type of land or property with HM Land Registry.

Environmental Stewardship schemes

the English Woodland Grant Scheme

Register with your local Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (RPID) office if your land is in Scotland.

What to register

You only need to register land that you want to claim payments on. This includes land that:

you farm

qualifies for land-based payment schemes, for example because it has environmental value

What you’ll get

You’ll get a complete set of maps showing your registered land.

Who can register

Customer registration

the name and address of your business

who is legally responsible for your business

the address of your land, including the grid reference or postcode

who your main contact person should be and what powers they should have

Call the RPA to give this information for the first time or change existing contact details for your business.

Landlords and tenants

However, it’s possible for the landlord to claim funds under one land scheme and their tenant to claim under another.

How to register land or change a registration

You can use the RLE1 form to:

register new land for the first time

Read the guidance on filling out form RLE1.

Contacting the RPA

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

The Rural Land Register only covers land in England.

If your land is in more than one country, you’ll need to register each piece of land separately for each country.

Land in Scotland

Land in Northern Ireland

Land in Wales

Find out about call charges.

Overview

You must use the Rural Land Register (RLR) to register agricultural land.

You can register any type of land or property with HM Land Registry.

Environmental Stewardship schemes

the English Woodland Grant Scheme

Register with your local Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (RPID) office if your land is in Scotland.

What to register

You only need to register land that you want to claim payments on. This includes land that:

you farm

qualifies for land-based payment schemes, for example because it has environmental value

What you’ll get

You’ll get a complete set of maps showing your registered land.

Who can register

Customer registration

the name and address of your business

who is legally responsible for your business

the address of your land, including the grid reference or postcode

who your main contact person should be and what powers they should have

Call the RPA to give this information for the first time or change existing contact details for your business.

Landlords and tenants

However, it’s possible for the landlord to claim funds under one land scheme and their tenant to claim under another.

How to register land or change a registration

You can use the RLE1 form to:

register new land for the first time

Read the guidance on filling out form RLE1.

Contacting the RPA

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

The Rural Land Register only covers land in England.

If your land is in more than one country, you’ll need to register each piece of land separately for each country.

Land in Scotland

Land in Northern Ireland

Land in Wales

Find out about call charges.

Overview

You must use the Rural Land Register (RLR) to register agricultural land.

You can register any type of land or property with HM Land Registry.

Environmental Stewardship schemes

the English Woodland Grant Scheme

Register with your local Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (RPID) office if your land is in Scotland.

What to register

You only need to register land that you want to claim payments on. This includes land that:

you farm

qualifies for land-based payment schemes, for example because it has environmental value

What you’ll get

You’ll get a complete set of maps showing your registered land.

Who can register

Customer registration

the name and address of your business

who is legally responsible for your business

the address of your land, including the grid reference or postcode

who your main contact person should be and what powers they should have

Call the RPA to give this information for the first time or change existing contact details for your business.

Landlords and tenants

Either the landlord or the tenant can register land on the Rural Land Register, but the land can only be registered once.

However, it’s possible for the landlord to claim funds under one land scheme and their tenant to claim under another.

How to register land or change a registration

You can use the RLE1 form to:

register new land for the first time

Read the guidance on filling out form RLE1.

Contacting the RPA

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

The Rural Land Register only covers land in England.

If your land is in more than one country, you’ll need to register each piece of land separately for each country.

Land in Scotland

Land in Northern Ireland

Land in Wales

Find out about call charges.


I have recently bought a farm from another and plan to rent this out. Im in England and an older adult who has struggled with understanding all the rules so far. Do I need to make changes to the existing registration of the land to reflect that I have bought it?

You must register your land with both the RLR and HM Land Registry to claim from most land-based funding schemes, including:

Overview

You must use the Rural Land Register (RLR) to register agricultural land.

You can register any type of land or property with HM Land Registry.

Environmental Stewardship schemes

the English Woodland Grant Scheme

Register with your local Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (RPID) office if your land is in Scotland.

What to register

You only need to register land that you want to claim payments on. This includes land that:

you farm

qualifies for land-based payment schemes, for example because it has environmental value

What you’ll get

You’ll get a complete set of maps showing your registered land.

Who can register

Customer registration

You need to register as a customer with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) before you register your land. You’ll need to tell them:

the name and address of your business

who is legally responsible for your business

the address of your land, including the grid reference or postcode

who your main contact person should be and what powers they should have

The main contact person can be yourself, a person legally responsible for your business or someone independent (an agent).

You can give an agent full powers (empowerment) to deal with your land registration or partial powers (for example, they can access information but not change it).

The Rural Payments Agency has produced a leaflet about the different levels of empowerment you can give your contact person.

Call the RPA to give this information for the first time or change existing contact details for your business.

You’ll receive a Single Business Identifier for your business, and each person will get a Personal Identifier. You’ll need these to register your land.

Landlords and tenants

Either the landlord or the tenant can register land on the Rural Land Register, but the land can only be registered once.

However, it’s possible for the landlord to claim funds under one land scheme and their tenant to claim under another.

How to register land or change a registration

You can use the RLE1 form to:

register new land for the first time

make changes to land already on the Rural Land Register, for example if the boundaries change or if you sell the land to someone else

Fill in the form and post it to the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). You can either download the form below or ask the RPA to send you a pre-printed copy.

You’ll need to give your Single Business Identifier - you’ll get this when you complete the customer registration process for the first time.

You also need to enclose a map with a visible scale if you’re registering land for the first time, or if your boundaries have changed. Mark your land boundaries clearly with a fine-tipped pen.

Read the guidance on filling out form RLE1.

Contacting the RPA

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

The Rural Land Register only covers land in England.

If your land is in more than one country, you’ll need to register each piece of land separately for each country.

Contact the Rural Payments Agency if you have land in more than one country and have questions about your land in England.

Use the numbers below if you have land in more than one country and have questions about land in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales.

Land in Scotland

Land in Northern Ireland

Land in Wales

Find out about call charges.

You only need to register land that you want to claim payments on. This includes land that:

Overview

You must use the Rural Land Register (RLR) to register agricultural land.

You can register any type of land or property with HM Land Registry.

Environmental Stewardship schemes

the English Woodland Grant Scheme

Register with your local Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (RPID) office if your land is in Scotland.

What to register

you farm

qualifies for land-based payment schemes, for example because it has environmental value

What you’ll get

You’ll get a complete set of maps showing your registered land.

Who can register

Customer registration

the name and address of your business

who is legally responsible for your business

the address of your land, including the grid reference or postcode

who your main contact person should be and what powers they should have

Call the RPA to give this information for the first time or change existing contact details for your business.

Landlords and tenants

Either the landlord or the tenant can register land on the Rural Land Register, but the land can only be registered once.

However, it’s possible for the landlord to claim funds under one land scheme and their tenant to claim under another.

How to register land or change a registration

You can use the RLE1 form to:

register new land for the first time

Read the guidance on filling out form RLE1.

Contacting the RPA

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

The Rural Land Register only covers land in England.

If your land is in more than one country, you’ll need to register each piece of land separately for each country.

Land in Scotland

Land in Northern Ireland

Land in Wales

Find out about call charges.

you farm

Overview

You must use the Rural Land Register (RLR) to register agricultural land.

You can register any type of land or property with HM Land Registry.

Environmental Stewardship schemes

the English Woodland Grant Scheme

Register with your local Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (RPID) office if your land is in Scotland.

What to register

You only need to register land that you want to claim payments on. This includes land that:

you farm

qualifies for land-based payment schemes, for example because it has environmental value

What you’ll get

You’ll get a complete set of maps showing your registered land.

Who can register

Customer registration

the name and address of your business

who is legally responsible for your business

the address of your land, including the grid reference or postcode

who your main contact person should be and what powers they should have

The main contact person can be yourself, a person legally responsible for your business or someone independent (an agent).

Call the RPA to give this information for the first time or change existing contact details for your business.

Landlords and tenants

Either the landlord or the tenant can register land on the Rural Land Register, but the land can only be registered once.

However, it’s possible for the landlord to claim funds under one land scheme and their tenant to claim under another.

How to register land or change a registration

You can use the RLE1 form to:

register new land for the first time

Read the guidance on filling out form RLE1.

Contacting the RPA

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

The Rural Land Register only covers land in England.

If your land is in more than one country, you’ll need to register each piece of land separately for each country.

Contact the Rural Payments Agency if you have land in more than one country and have questions about your land in England.

Land in Scotland

Land in Northern Ireland

Land in Wales

Find out about call charges.

Overview

You must use the Rural Land Register (RLR) to register agricultural land.

You can register any type of land or property with HM Land Registry.

Environmental Stewardship schemes

the English Woodland Grant Scheme

Register with your local Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (RPID) office if your land is in Scotland.

What to register

You only need to register land that you want to claim payments on. This includes land that:

you farm

qualifies for land-based payment schemes, for example because it has environmental value

What you’ll get

You’ll get a complete set of maps showing your registered land.

Who can register

Customer registration

the name and address of your business

who is legally responsible for your business

the address of your land, including the grid reference or postcode

who your main contact person should be and what powers they should have

The main contact person can be yourself, a person legally responsible for your business or someone independent (an agent).

Call the RPA to give this information for the first time or change existing contact details for your business.

Landlords and tenants

Either the landlord or the tenant can register land on the Rural Land Register, but the land can only be registered once.

However, it’s possible for the landlord to claim funds under one land scheme and their tenant to claim under another.

How to register land or change a registration

You can use the RLE1 form to:

register new land for the first time

Read the guidance on filling out form RLE1.

Contacting the RPA

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

The Rural Land Register only covers land in England.

If your land is in more than one country, you’ll need to register each piece of land separately for each country.

Contact the Rural Payments Agency if you have land in more than one country and have questions about your land in England.

Land in Scotland

Land in Northern Ireland

Land in Wales

Find out about call charges.

You can use the RLE1 form to:

Overview

You must use the Rural Land Register (RLR) to register agricultural land.

You can register any type of land or property with HM Land Registry.

Environmental Stewardship schemes

the English Woodland Grant Scheme

Register with your local Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (RPID) office if your land is in Scotland.

What to register

You only need to register land that you want to claim payments on. This includes land that:

you farm

qualifies for land-based payment schemes, for example because it has environmental value

What you’ll get

You’ll get a complete set of maps showing your registered land.

Who can register

Customer registration

the name and address of your business

who is legally responsible for your business

the address of your land, including the grid reference or postcode

who your main contact person should be and what powers they should have

The main contact person can be yourself, a person legally responsible for your business or someone independent (an agent).

Call the RPA to give this information for the first time or change existing contact details for your business.

Landlords and tenants

Either the landlord or the tenant can register land on the Rural Land Register, but the land can only be registered once.

However, it’s possible for the landlord to claim funds under one land scheme and their tenant to claim under another.

How to register land or change a registration

You can use the RLE1 form to:

register new land for the first time

Read the guidance on filling out form RLE1.

Contacting the RPA

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

The Rural Land Register only covers land in England.

If your land is in more than one country, you’ll need to register each piece of land separately for each country.

Contact the Rural Payments Agency if you have land in more than one country and have questions about your land in England.

Land in Scotland

Land in Northern Ireland

Land in Wales

Find out about call charges.

Overview

You must use the Rural Land Register (RLR) to register agricultural land.

You can register any type of land or property with HM Land Registry.

Environmental Stewardship schemes

the English Woodland Grant Scheme

Register with your local Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (RPID) office if your land is in Scotland.

What to register

You only need to register land that you want to claim payments on. This includes land that:

you farm

qualifies for land-based payment schemes, for example because it has environmental value

What you’ll get

You’ll get a complete set of maps showing your registered land.

Who can register

Customer registration

the name and address of your business

who is legally responsible for your business

the address of your land, including the grid reference or postcode

who your main contact person should be and what powers they should have

The main contact person can be yourself, a person legally responsible for your business or someone independent (an agent).

Call the RPA to give this information for the first time or change existing contact details for your business.

Landlords and tenants

Either the landlord or the tenant can register land on the Rural Land Register, but the land can only be registered once.

However, it’s possible for the landlord to claim funds under one land scheme and their tenant to claim under another.

How to register land or change a registration

You can use the RLE1 form to:

register new land for the first time

Read the guidance on filling out form RLE1.

Contacting the RPA

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

The Rural Land Register only covers land in England.

If your land is in more than one country, you’ll need to register each piece of land separately for each country.

Contact the Rural Payments Agency if you have land in more than one country and have questions about your land in England.

Land in Scotland

Land in Northern Ireland

Land in Wales

Find out about call charges.


My parents moved to Italy before getting married. I was born in Rome and lived there all my life. I gave up my British citizenship when I was 18; it was a bad choice. Now, because of Brexit, I'm worried that is going to be complicated to visit my grandparents in London. Can I have my British passport back? I know that Italy allows double citizenship.

In some cases it’s possible to resume your British nationality after renouncing it.

Give up (renounce) British citizenship or nationality

Overview

You can apply to give up (renounce) your British citizenship or status. If accepted, you’ll get a ‘declaration of renunciation’ that you can use to show that you’re no longer British.

You might do this, for example, if you want to become a citizen of another country that does not allow dual citizenship.

You can renounce your:

British citizenship

British overseas territories citizenship

British overseas citizenship

British subject status

British national (overseas) status

You can give up more than one at a time.

Giving up your citizenship or status only affects you and not any other members of your family - although it could affect the status of any children you have in future.

Your right to live in the UK will be affected if you give up citizenship.

When you can give up your citizenship

You can only give up your British citizenship or status if either of the following apply:

you already have another citizenship or nationality

you’re going to get another citizenship or nationality after giving up your British citizenship or status

You must also be:

aged 18 or over (unless you’re under 18 and married)

of sound mind (unless it’s decided that it’s in your best interest)

Apply

Fill in the form online. You’ll usually be able to keep your documents while your application is being processed.

If you live in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a British overseas territory, you have to apply in person or by post instead. Check which you can do with your governor’s office.

If you live elsewhere, you can apply by post. This will take much longer than applying online because of coronavirus (COVID-19). Avoid applying by post, especially if you need your documents back by a specific date.

It is taking longer than usual to process applications because of coronavirus. This will not affect the decision.

Get help to apply online

You can get help with completing the online form if you:

do not feel confident using a computer or mobile device

do not have internet access

You can only use this service if you’re applying in the UK.

You cannot get immigration advice through this service.

After you've applied

You’ll get a ‘declaration of renunciation’ if your application is successful. This will be your application form, officially signed and stamped.

The date your citizenship or status stops will be shown on the form.

Your supporting documents will be returned to you whether you’re successful or not.

Time limits if you’re getting another citizenship

You’ll have 6 months from when you received your declaration to get another citizenship - otherwise the declaration will no longer be valid and you’ll keep your British citizenship or status.

Resume your British nationality

In some cases it’s possible to resume your British nationality after renouncing it.

Read the guidance to check if you can apply.

It is taking longer than usual to process applications because of coronavirus (COVID-19). This will not affect the decision. You’ll get extra time to provide your fingerprints, photo and additional information, and to book a citizenship ceremony.

How to apply

If you live elsewhere, you can apply by post. This will take much longer than applying online because of coronavirus. Avoid applying by post, especially if you need your documents back by a specific date.

Get help to apply online

do not have internet access

Fee

Pay the current fee for registration.

Your fee will not be refunded if your application is refused.

You’ll also need to pay £19.20 to have your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken.

If you’re applying from the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a British overseas territory

You’ll be told the fee for providing your biometric information when you apply.

Supporting documents

You’ll need to provide:

your copy of your declaration of renunciation (either form RN1 or R6)

your passport, or certificate of naturalisation or registration for your current citizenship or nationality

an official letter or statement from the country you’re currently a citizen or national of saying that if you had not given up your British citizenship you’d have lost or failed to get your current citizenship or nationality

If you gave up United Kingdom and Colonies citizenship you’ll also need to provide:

the birth, naturalisation or registration certificate of the person you have the connection to the UK with, and evidence of your relationship to that person, for example a birth, marriage or civil partnership certificate

evidence that you gave up citizenship because you believed you’d be deprived of your citizenship of a Commonwealth country unless you did so - this should be a separate letter explaining this plus any supporting documents

You may have to provide different documents if you originally gave up citizenship for a reason other than you’d have lost or failed to get citizenship of another country - read the guidance for details.

Providing biometric information and supporting documents

When you apply, you’ll be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to provide your biometric information (your fingerprints and a photo).

You’ll also need to submit your supporting documents. You can:

upload them into the online service

have them scanned at your UKVCAS appointment

You must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision. Your application will be withdrawn if you do.

You’ll be told how to provide your biometric information and supporting documents when you apply.

You’ll need to provide:

Overview

You can renounce your:

British citizenship

British overseas territories citizenship

British overseas citizenship

British subject status

British national (overseas) status

You can give up more than one at a time.

Your right to live in the UK will be affected if you give up citizenship.

When you can give up your citizenship

You can only give up your British citizenship or status if either of the following apply:

you already have another citizenship or nationality

you’re going to get another citizenship or nationality after giving up your British citizenship or status

You must also be:

aged 18 or over (unless you’re under 18 and married)

of sound mind (unless it’s decided that it’s in your best interest)

Apply

Get help to apply online

You can get help with completing the online form if you:

do not feel confident using a computer or mobile device

do not have internet access

You can only use this service if you’re applying in the UK.

You cannot get immigration advice through this service.

After you've applied

The date your citizenship or status stops will be shown on the form.

Your supporting documents will be returned to you whether you’re successful or not.

Time limits if you’re getting another citizenship

Resume your British nationality

In some cases it’s possible to resume your British nationality after renouncing it.

Read the guidance to check if you can apply.

How to apply

Get help to apply online

do not have internet access

Fee

Pay the current fee for registration.

Your fee will not be refunded if your application is refused.

You’ll also need to pay £19.20 to have your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken.

If you’re applying from the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a British overseas territory

You’ll be told the fee for providing your biometric information when you apply.

Supporting documents

You’ll need to provide:

your copy of your declaration of renunciation (either form RN1 or R6)

If you gave up United Kingdom and Colonies citizenship you’ll also need to provide:

Providing biometric information and supporting documents

You’ll also need to submit your supporting documents. You can:

upload them into the online service

have them scanned at your UKVCAS appointment

You’ll be told how to provide your biometric information and supporting documents when you apply.

Overview

You can renounce your:

British citizenship

British overseas territories citizenship

British overseas citizenship

British subject status

British national (overseas) status

You can give up more than one at a time.

Your right to live in the UK will be affected if you give up citizenship.

When you can give up your citizenship

You can only give up your British citizenship or status if either of the following apply:

you already have another citizenship or nationality

you’re going to get another citizenship or nationality after giving up your British citizenship or status

You must also be:

aged 18 or over (unless you’re under 18 and married)

of sound mind (unless it’s decided that it’s in your best interest)

Apply

Get help to apply online

You can get help with completing the online form if you:

do not feel confident using a computer or mobile device

do not have internet access

You can only use this service if you’re applying in the UK.

You cannot get immigration advice through this service.

After you've applied

The date your citizenship or status stops will be shown on the form.

Your supporting documents will be returned to you whether you’re successful or not.

Time limits if you’re getting another citizenship

Resume your British nationality

In some cases it’s possible to resume your British nationality after renouncing it.

Read the guidance to check if you can apply.

How to apply

Get help to apply online

do not have internet access

Fee

Pay the current fee for registration.

Your fee will not be refunded if your application is refused.

You’ll also need to pay £19.20 to have your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken.

If you’re applying from the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a British overseas territory

You’ll be told the fee for providing your biometric information when you apply.

Supporting documents

You’ll need to provide:

your copy of your declaration of renunciation (either form RN1 or R6)

If you gave up United Kingdom and Colonies citizenship you’ll also need to provide:

Providing biometric information and supporting documents

You’ll also need to submit your supporting documents. You can:

upload them into the online service

have them scanned at your UKVCAS appointment

You’ll be told how to provide your biometric information and supporting documents when you apply.