Autumn Budget 2021: Kinship welcomes plans but calls for investment in kinship care

Chancellor Rishi Sunak today announced his Autumn Budget in the House of Commons.

Key points include:

• Schools in England will receive an extra £4.7bn by 2024-2025
• 30,000 places for SEND students to be created
• £7m commitment to the Department for Education’s Adoption Strategy
• The taper rate on universal credit will go from 63p to 55p. This will be worth more than £2bn.

Commenting on the Chancellor’s statement, Kinship CEO Dr Lucy Peake said:

“Today’s announcement of funding for local authorities to set up family hubs, creation of 30,000 school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and a commitment to investing in support for families facing complex issues, is of course welcome news.

“Our recent survey of nearly 2000 kinship carers found that 70% felt they did not receive the support they needed from their local authority and 36% reported that the child in their care had SEND – three times the national average. So, the new models of family support that the Chancellor has announced today absolutely must prioritise kinship carers – so many of whom are providing a stable family home for children they love, but are having to battle for financial, practical and emotional support at every turn.

“The £7m commitment to the Department for Education’s Adoption Strategy is great news for adopters and their families. But Government and the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care need to urgently address the dire lack of support for Special Guardians and kinship carers who are caring for 200,000 children, often facing real financial hardship, and commit to an equivalent level of investment in kinship care.”