Peterborough City Council apologises to woman for 'distress and anxiety' after special guardianship allowance stopped

Peterborough City Council (PCC) has apologised to a woman whose special guardianship allowance was stopped without notice while she cared for her grandchildren.

The woman, who has not been publicly named, said that the incident caused her “significant distress and anxiety” as well as financial difficulties.

England’s Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) ordered the council to pay the woman the money she should have received as well as an additional £500 to acknowledge her distress.

Special guardianship allowance is paid to people who become responsible for the long-term care of children who are not their own.

In this case, the woman had become the special guardian to her grandchildren, all of whom have additional needs, in 2019 after having previously looked after them as a foster carer.

It was in November 2020 that PCC stopped paying the woman her special guardianship allowance, despite her having applied for an extension in October; it later continued but at a lower rate.

The woman put in a complaint to PCC in February 2022, at which point a higher rate was calculated and backdated to December 2021.

The council also agreed to pay her £300 for her time and trouble at this stage and said it would review its special guardianship allowance arrangements.

But the woman’s complaint was then escalated to the LGSCO, which said her payments should be backdated further and that the council should revisit its decision to deduct child benefits from her allowance and backdate this also if justification for doing so was not found.

The council should also provide training to officers around calculating special guardianship allowance, the LGSCO said.

PCC said in a statement that it has apologised to the woman and her family.

"We accept the findings by the ombudsman and have written to the family to offer an apology for the distress caused,” a spokesperson said.

"We are currently reviewing our Special Guardianship Order policy which includes guidance around allowances as best we can ensure that families receive the correct advice and service in the future."