 provision is made in respect of assessments for financial support, and the circumstances in which a person’s means must be assessed and taken into account in any decision on payment of financial support. Except in the circumstances set out in ASR 15.4 and 15.5, the local authority must take into account any other grant, benefit, allowance or resource available to the person because of the adoption, and significant income from any investments. The adoptive parent’s home must not be taken into account. It is therefore important that adoptive parents apply for statutory adoption pay and leave, and all benefits and tax credits to which they are eligible. Financial support under the ASR must complement and not duplicate financial support available through the benefits and tax credits system. 9.33. In determining the amount of any ongoing financial support the local authority should have regard to the amount of fostering allowance that would have been payable if the child were instead to be fostered. Most local authorities will have a payment structure for foster care consisting of a ‘core’ allowance and enhancements appropriate to the needs of the individual child. This core fostering allowance, together with any enhancement that would be payable for the particular child, will make up the maximum payment (excluding any remuneration for former foster carers under ASR 9) that the local authority should consider paying by way of ongoing financial adoption support. The purpose of applying the means test is to ascertain what proportion of this maximum should be payable in the particular case. 9.34. ASR 15 sets out the circumstances in which the local authority has discretion to disregard means (as calculated in accordance with ASR 15.3) and those in which they must disregard the