Getting the right support as a care leaver

When you leave care and begin living as an independent person, it probably feels like you’re going out on a limb. But as a care leaver you have legal rights and entitlements to help you.

Your local council must support you to find somewhere to live if you’re facing homelessness. If you’re under 18 and a care leaver, social services will pay for things like your accommodation.

Your local council must help you with accommodation, education, training and financial support or finding a job.

If you’re over 18 and not in education, there are other benefits you can claim. You can be assigned a personal advisor to help you with goals and challenges.

What is a care leaver?

You’re a care leaver if you’re aged 16-25 and have spent time living away from your family, being looked after by a local authority for at least 13 weeks since age 14 (including at least one day after turning 16), but you’ve now left that care.

If this is you, you’re classed as what’s known as a care leaver in law, meaning you have a legal right to ongoing support from your local authority up to age 25.

Children’s services are required to support you and you should have a Personal Adviser (PA).

Your PA or social worker must complete an assessment of your needs, in areas such as housing, education and finances. When this has been agreed, with your input, they must write a Pathway Plan with you, setting out how you will receive the support.

Your PA or social worker must review what support and services you’ll need when you leave care (known as a needs assessment) as part of your Pathway Plan.

The pathway plan covers what support and services you might need, which will be reviewed with you at least once every 6 months, or whenever you or your PA want.

Finding accommodation as a care leaver

As a qualifying care leaver, Children’s Services must give you housing advice and support, and provide or pay for accommodation during college or university holidays, if you are studying full-time away from home, up to age 25.

If you’ve been assigned a Personal Advisor, they will tell you what housing options are available to you, find somewhere safe to live that meets your needs, and get you access to housing support and services as part of your Pathway Plan for leaving care.

When you do move into a place of your own, you can ask your local authority for the setting up allowance, usually £2,000, to help you pay for furniture or appliances.

What to do if you’re homeless?

If you leave care but don’t have accommodation, even if you’re sofa surfing or staying with friends or family, you’re are still classed as homeless.

If so, you have the right to get help from your local council to find somewhere to live. This kind of help is known as making a homeless application’, and most people can get help.

You can find your local council at the Gov website.

It’s best to apply in person to the council. You’ll need proof of your identity: an identification (ID) card, driving licence, birth certificate or passport, a tenancy agreement or eviction notice.

You’ll need to explain why you’re homeless or about to become homeless, and why you need the council’s support.

Can I claim benefits/financial support as a care leaver?

If you’re under 18 and a care leaver, social services will pay for your accommodation. This means you won’t also be able to claim housing benefit. But if you’re over 18 and a care leaver not in education, there are exceptions, so you should be able to claim other benefits such as Universal Credit.

You can find out more about these exceptions through Turn2us.

As a qualifying care leaver, Children’s Services might also offer support if you need it to pay for expenses related to your education, training and work needs up to age 25, and to contribute to living expenses related with your education and training, up to age 25.

Organisations that support care leavers

Care leavers can get the help they’re entitled to through independent advice from an advocacy service. These provide one-to-one support to help you understand your rights, challenge a housing decision or connect with other services.

You can find your local advocacy service by searching at Coram Voice with your postcode.

You can also contact:

Barnardo’s
Visit the Barnardo’s website

Coram Voice
Call: 0808 800 5792
Email: info@coramvoice.org.uk
Visit Coram Voice’s website

Help at Hand
Call: 0800 528 0731
Visit the Help at Hand website

Just for Kids Law
Call: 0203 174 2279
Email: info@justforkidslaw.org
Visit the Just for Kids Law’s website