BRADFORD Council has been forced to stump up thousands of pounds in back-dated payments to a foster caring couple after failing to tell them they were entitled to additional money.

But the Council has said the missed payments were a result of an “anomaly” which has now been changed.

The couple, who cannot be named, were approached in 2014 by the Council as potential foster carers for three young siblings.

The children are relatives of theirs and the Council had removed them from their parents because of a death in the family.

But the couple later found out that although receiving a basic foster allowance of just over £400 per week for the children, they had been due a further £260 per week which Social Services did not tell them about.

Bradford Council pays an additional weekly allowance to foster carers who take on sibling groups of three.

Helen Jarvis, specialist kinship care solicitor at Ridley & Hall, Huddersfield, who investigated the payment for the couple, said: “The couple received the basic fostering allowance for the children. This was just over £400 per week.

“But the Social Worker assigned to the children never told my clients they were entitled to an extra £260 per week for looking after three children.

“After I challenged Bradford Council they agreed the foster parents were entitled to these additional payments. They have made a backdated payment of almost £7,000 - and as long as they are foster carers, they’ll receive the extra £260 a week on top of their other allowances.

“So many kinship carers act with their hearts. They don’t want to see children placed with strangers. They trust the local authority to pay them what they are entitled to.”

Bradford Council has acknowledged its failure in informing the couple of the additional money available, and has also reiterated the council’s adjusted payments to all carers.

Coun Val Slater, Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing said: “This matter was concluded before any legal proceedings were issued. We agreed with the family’s legal representatives that the carers should be given the same pay as foster carers.”