Guardian's Allowance

Guardian's Allowance is an additional payment for people who are raising a child because one or both of that child's parents have died. It is paid on top of Child Benefit at a rate of £21.75 per week per qualifying child. It is not means-tested — your income and savings do not affect eligibility.

To qualify, you need to be entitled to Child Benefit for the child and at least one of the child's parents must have died. In certain circumstances, you may be eligible even if only one parent has died — for example, if the other parent cannot be found, is in prison serving a long sentence, or was not married to the deceased parent and their whereabouts are unknown.

Guardian's Allowance can be backdated by up to 3 months. You do not need to be the child's legal guardian or have a formal guardianship order — you simply need to be responsible for looking after the child and receiving Child Benefit for them. Foster carers and adoptive parents may also qualify in certain circumstances.

The allowance is tax-free and does not count as income for other benefit calculations. It continues as long as you receive Child Benefit for the child — usually until they are 16, or 20 if they remain in approved education or training.