# settleing in grant



## wilcock (Oct 6, 2011)

Hello can any one help.

How soon after matching panel do you normally get the settleing grant.


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## crazyspaniel (Sep 12, 2012)

Hi, we had to claim back using receipts but did get the money quite quickly, within a few weeks I think,


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## Macgyver (Oct 27, 2008)

We never received any grants, the only money we could claim back was for a b&b stay during intros as it was a good few hours drive away and they wanted us to get ds up in the morning (at that time he use to get up a 5am) so the LA paid for the b&b. We could also claim back any fuel mileage after 50 miles each day.


But nothing else. We did ask about settling in grant as was told our LA didn't do them.


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## wilcock (Oct 6, 2011)

thanks for your replyes...when we adopted first time round we got £500 but cant remember how long we waited, been told this time the money gone down to £250. so was just wondering how long it takes.......


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## Sun Flower (Jul 14, 2008)

we didn't get any settling in grant for adoption, but I think our LA offer something similar for F2A


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## Waiting_patiently (Dec 4, 2013)

At the risk of getting shot down in flames my personal view on this is why should we get settling in grants? We went to them to ask them for a child, why would we expect anyone else to contribute towards that child, we wouldn't if we had conceived that child naturally.

There will always be exclusions to this of course that could be things like long distance intros where costs may be reimbursed for some accommodation or fuel contribution, or more long term financial aid for children that have extra needs requiring more complex care, and the standard CB that 'most' not all, but most families get. 

It puzzles me that in the past (not on this post) I have read on here and other forums where people are most put out that they haven't received a settling in grant as if they're doing someone a favour?!?! Yes I get that we are taking a child from the system, saving them money on foster care etc etc, however this is our choice is it not, we went to them for a family, they didn't come knocking on our doors asking us to take a child , so again, why would we expect them to give us anything towards settling in?

No offence intended so please no one take it that way, like I say, just 'my' personal view on the subject


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## becs40 (Apr 9, 2013)

I do agree WP. We didn't get anything because we did f2a so received fostering allowance for the first couple of months. I wasn't bothered about that but it did come in handy as I had to take unpaid leave for the fostering period so replaced some of that money.


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

i am sure this may cause  disagreement but I do feel that adopting a child often does 'cost' more financially than a birth child would but for us it was other areas rather than equipment outlay. In order to be approved we had to make several changes to our home, all of which cost a significant amount. None were 'dangerous' and our sw even said she would never have changed them when she had her birth family but it was h&s. If we had a newborn, yes we may have changed them eventually but certainly not for their arrival when we were paying for everything else. 
Post wee man's moving in we went on 'lock down'. If we had  had a new born, no doubt my mum and family would have helped with ironing, cleaning etc. however this was not an option so we paid for some help. 
Also, it was clear that wee man needed me home far longer than I would have been if I had given birth therefore I had to take unpaid leave - then I needed to return part time.

Maybe it was wrong but our settling in grant helped towards these. 
All of the above significantly contributed to the extra money that was needed, yes we asked them to adopt but I don't believe you should be 'worse' off financially and our settling in grant went in to our 'pot' which has helped towards these costs. 

Personally, in the words of the famous shop,  I believe 'every little helps' and we applied for ours as soon as we could. Lol


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## Waiting_patiently (Dec 4, 2013)

Flash123 said:


> i am sure this may cause disagreement but I do feel that adopting a child often does 'cost' more financially that a birth child would but for us it was other areas rather than equipment outlay. In order to be approved we had to make several changes to our home, all of which cost a significant amount. None were 'dangerous' and our sw even said she would never have changed them when she had her birth family but it was h&s. If we had a newborn, yes we may have changed them eventually but certainly not for their arrival when we were paying for everything else.
> Post to wee man moving in we went on 'lock down'. If we had had a new born, no doubt my mum and family would have helped with ironing, cleaning etc. however this was not an option so we paid for some help.
> Also, it was clear that wee man needed me home far longer than I would have been if I had given birth therefore I had to take unpaid leave - then I needed to return part time.
> 
> ...


No disagreement here Flash  every situation is different, most I've read is where people are saying how much it's cost them to get everything i.e. equipment and I'm thinking... really? you want help with paying for your pushchair, cot, highchair etc etc etc?!? BUT.. reading the reasons you've stated i.e paying for some help early days etc I can appreciate, but then my question to SS would be that its unfair how as always the LA's differ, if it's to literally help with settling in, i.e extra help when needed in the early days, then every single adopter experiences that and should get it, not 'some' as is what seems to be the case. Even medicals etc were extremely pricey, our doctors charged over £50 more than SS stated was the going rate, some LA's pay for these, some don't, why? how is that fair? I could be here all night with my fair and unfair but hey, my prince is fast asleep upstairs after being home nearly a year now and thats all I care about now


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## Barbados Girl (Jul 7, 2012)

If I had a birth child, I would have been paid 6 weeks pay at 90% my salary. I wasn't and the settling in grant I received was a big help.


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## littlepoppy86 (Feb 14, 2014)

We had a settling in grant for both children, we was told this is because they are male, duel heritage & out of area adoptions all making it hard to place..

I'm sure as hell not refusing any money! 

It came within a few weeks of moving in and we could spend the £300 per child however we chose.


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## becs40 (Apr 9, 2013)

I do agree Flash and BG entirely with those situations. My point would be though that those kind of financial penalties be dealt with separately rather than a settling in grant which I think the vast majority use for the normal expenditure of having a baby.
BG I believe the adoption pay situation has now been changed earlier this year to match maternity as it rightly should. This does now also include foster to adopt so adoption leave can commence at the start of fostering period.


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## RocketJ (Mar 29, 2014)

I have been very fortunate to be given a settling in grant, and regardless of whether I should feel entitled to one or not, I totally agree with littlepoppy that I'm not going to refuse any money! My SW originally said he was bound to have an adoption allowance because of the level of his needs, but the placing agency aren't doing that anymore so the grant does feel a bit like their way of saying sorry - take this instead.

I do think there are some additional costs involved in adoption though, which it can help with. For example, I have spent some of mine on an expensive activity centre, which I would not ordinarily have bought due to its cost and the fact that he will soon be too big for it. But they have the exact same one at the FCs and he is used to it, so I got it to help him settle in.


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## Arrows (Nov 9, 2008)

We got £250 for our son's placement at 10mths old. We used the bulk of it to buy a car seat which was a lot more than the basic one we would normally be able to afford. It was particularly helpful because we got the Maxi Cosi Axis which swiveled around to face our of the car. I have suffered with a bad back and unlike a birth child where you can get used to the increasing weight, I was suddenly presented with a 22lb baby and it really helped as I didn't have to twist in order to put him in and out. 

We also had petrol during intros paid for as it was long distance and a hotel room on the days we needed.


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## scoobydooby (Nov 5, 2013)

Waiting_patiently said:


> At the risk of getting shot down in flames my personal view on this is why should we get settling in grants? We went to them to ask them for a child, why would we expect anyone else to contribute towards that child, we wouldn't if we had conceived that child naturally.
> 
> There will always be exclusions to this of course that could be things like long distance intros where costs may be reimbursed for some accommodation or fuel contribution, or more long term financial aid for children that have extra needs requiring more complex care, and the standard CB that 'most' not all, but most families get.
> 
> ...


We adopted twice in the space of 7 months (siblings at different FC's) My partner is self employed and as such was not eligible for maternity pay, so we insisted on some form of pay which we got for 6 months, or the 2nd placement would not have been able to go ahead because we simply would not have been able to afford to live.
Every situation is different, some case don't warrant financial help, others most certainly do.


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## becs40 (Apr 9, 2013)

I think we were all in agreement where actual financial costs were incurred or salary lost etc then they should absolutely be covered but probably not in the form of a standard settling in grant. It used to be that foster carers also had the same sort of grant for each child which was frankly ridiculous as it was intended that they buy all new equipment for each foster child. Obviously cot mattresses yes but everything else seems ludicrous. That has now stopped which is why foster carers are passing less on when a child is placed, also right as the majority of adopters want to choose what suits them for things like car seats, buggies etc.


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## Dame Edna (May 17, 2007)

I would say that, yes we did all choose to adopt.  However, our children did not choose their fate. The small amount of money you save on essential items with the settling in grant can be put into a bank account for your little one - they themselves will be glad of it and thoroughly deserve any help (financial or otherwise), they can get.

In addition, although there is now statutory adoption pay, there is of course a time when this stops.  The settling in money could be used to fund a little bit of extra time with a child who needs mummy at home for 'settling in', above and beyond a secure 'birth childs ' needs.

....gets down off soap box  
X


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## Treaco (Mar 10, 2005)

Our sw advised us we will get a settling in grant of £700 because that's how they work. We didn't expect anything but we certainly won't be refusing it as we have quite a few things to buy.  I think every la works differently.

Michelle x


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## Paulapumpkin (Apr 22, 2006)

The settling in amount is £500 per child for essential items such as bed, cot, buggy etc. You need receipts to claim anything.  You also get mileage during intros and accommodation if over an hour away. You can also claim a weekly amount if you need financial assistance if the child has needs.


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