Special Guardianship Orders - financial assessment

Status:
Closed consultation
Start date:
21 February 2021
Closing date:
21 March 2021

We asked for your views on our proposed changes to the financial support assessment of new Special Guardianship Orders (for new Orders from 1 April 2021).

Details of the consultation

A Special Guardianship Order (SGO) is an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child's 'special guardian'. It is a private law order made under the Children Act 1989 and is intended for those children who cannot live with their birth parents and who would benefit from a legally secure placement.

Financial support is payable to facilitate arrangements for a person to become the child’s special guardian, where this is considered to be beneficial to the child’s welfare, and to support the continuation of these arrangements after the order has been made.

We proposed changes to the financial assessment criteria. These were:

  • Introduce a £75,000 per annum gross earned income limit - joint for couples (no allowance paid)

  • Maximum allowance reduced by disposable income (income less expenses [more income than expenses]) x 50%

  • Same financial assessment to be applied to all SGO children in the same family
  • Water rates not to be included as an expense

  • Childcare costs can only be considered if paid to a registered childcare provider up to £175 per week per child

More information was available in our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document.

Who could participate

All residents

How the consultation was delivered

Questionnaire or email.

Closing date

21 March 2021 (11.59pm)

Further information

If you have any queries relating to this consultation, please email consultation@enfield.gov.uk

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