Additional funding available from the leaving care service
a) Rent deposits and rent in advance
Where a young person’s accommodation needs have been identified within the pathway plan as private rented accommodation (for example, where they have no access to social housing), there will usually be a requirement for the young person to pay a rent deposit and rent in advance. Young people can use portions of their new homes grant as a deposit on accommodation or seek additional discretionary support from the Corporate Parenting Manager.
Where there is a rent deposit guarantee scheme available in the area, the young person will be supported by their worker to access funding from this scheme. Some young people may also be able to claim a crisis loan for paying rent in advance, and this should be explored in the first instance. If other funding streams are not available to assist young people to secure privately rented accommodation, the Leaving Care Service may provide discretionary financial support for rents and fees where appropriate, to eligible, relevant and former relevant young people who require it. See Appendix 1
b) Setting up home grant, 16 – 25 years olds
The leaving care service have a duty to provide eligible, relevant and former relevant young people a setting up home grant when they leave care and move into independent or semi-independent accommodation. This grant will be based on the young person’s assessed needs and will be up to a maximum amount of £2000. This amount has been increased to £3000 for young people turning 18 after 1 April 2023.
If a young person is a parent, then the leaving care service is able to award an extra £500 in new homes grant, per child, to support our young parents setting up home with their child. This £500 is addition to the maternity grant. This funding is to be used for items in the home for the child or children above the age of one. For example, stair gates, toddler bed, highchair or locks for cupboards. This is not for milk, clothes, nappies, everyday needs.
The grant will be administered by the young person’s leaving care worker and will be used to ensure that the young person has the appropriate equipment and household items to set up safe, secure and stable accommodation. The young person will be able to help to choose the essential items that they need within this overall budget. These will include essential items of furniture, furnishings, bedding, and kitchen equipment, the installation of gas or electrical appliances as necessary and removal costs.
This funding can be used to cover rent deposits and bespoke arrangements can be made to cover elements of a down payment with the process for funding the rent gap or paying for non-payment of rents and damages caused by care leavers. The new home grant can only be used in these circumstances if agreed by the service manager within the leaving care service and corporate parenting manager
Former relevant young people will be given a gift of £25 on their birthday, £50 for one religious festival (for example, Christmas or Eid) each year, and £50 on their 21st birthday.
As from 1st April 2020, any young person who turns 21 will be able to access their setting up home grant up to 25. The grant can be claimed retrospectively for those already over 21 but not over 25.
c) Emergency provisions
When a young person is required to move into a property before their emergency claim has been processed, or they find themselves in difficult circumstances, the leaving care service can provide discretionary financial support (above that of the new homes grant if this is spent) to ensure that they have the following items available to them as a minimum standard:
- food
- a bed (or a loan inflatable or temporary bed)
- warm bedding, quilt, pillows
- towels
- kettle
- dustpan, brush, and broom
- microwave
- bin bags
- crockery
- fridge and freezer
- cutlery
- toaster
- basic saucepans
- gas and electric
These items will enable the young person to move into a property quickly and or live comfortably whilst they are waiting for an advance on their universal credit or for personal circumstances to settle.
Any additional supportive grants will be administered by the worker, and the young person will be able to help to choose the essential items that they need within the overall budget. These are to include essential items of furniture, furnishings, bedding, and kitchen equipment, the installation of gas or electrical appliances as necessary and removal costs should they need it.
d) Identification documents
The leaving care service can provide discretionary financial support to ensure that all young people have a copy of their birth certificate, paying the fees to obtain a new one where necessary. Discretionary financial support for a passport or a provisional driving licence may also be provided where a young person requires it for identification purposes for training and employment. The fees for obtaining new and renewal passports will not be met by The leaving care service where the young person is requesting this for identification purposes only. It is however the expectation that these will be sourced and secured will before their 18 birthday.
e) Travel
Travel can be expensive, and it must be recognised that young people may require support with essential travel costs for medical appointments, legal appointments, travel to maintain relationships with family and to help access education. Discretion must be used when funding travel, joint funding with a contribution from the young person should always be considered in the first instance. Assistance with travel should always be supported when it is identified as essential to help young people meet their goals as set out in a pathway plan.
f) Support with leisure activities
i) For 16- to 21-year-olds living in independent accommodation
Young people are encouraged to make use of leisure facilities and to pursue sports and hobbies. Where the pathway plan identifies these activities and the young person shows a continued commitment to the hobby or activity, the leaving care service may provide discretionary financial support to contribute towards related costs for eligible and relevant young people who are living independently (for example, not in foster care or residential care). Examples are:
- purchase of sports equipment
- purchase of musical instruments and sheet music
- membership fees of clubs, leisure centres, and gyms
- swimming lessons, sports training or coaching fees
- music or singing lessons
ii) For 16- and 17-year-olds who live at home with parents
Young people who were previously accommodated under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 and have had a successful return home for six months or more revert to legal status Section 24 of the Children Act 1989 (qualifying child). This means that they are then able to access the benefits system (or their parents can claim for them). The leaving care service will not pay a personal allowance or accommodation costs for these young people, once they have been at home for six months and have reverted to legal status Section 24.
Young people who are subject to a care order under Section 31 of the Children Act 1989 are not able to access the benefits system, nor can their family claim benefits for them, (with the exception of child benefit, that the parent can claim for the young person if they are in education). The leaving care service has a duty to pay a personal allowance to those 16-17 year old young people living at home who are Section 23a (for the first six months) or Section 31, but not rent.
iii) For 18 years and older who live at home with parents
In most circumstances young people who are over 18 years old and living with their parents will have full access to benefits if they are not in employment. They can claim universal credit if they are unemployed and available for and actively seeking employment. Young people will not be eligible to claim benefit to help them to pay rent where they are living with their parents or another close relative.
g) Travel documents for UASC
Applications for travel documents for those aged under 17 – the parent or legal guardian (or body with parental responsibly) for the application must give the necessary consent by completing section 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3.
Applicants aged 16 or 17 with no parent or other person (or body) with parental responsibility - only 7.2 has to be completed but an explanation for the absence of anyone to give consent must be provided in a letter with this form.
h) Driving lessons
The leaving care service and children in care teams may support young people by helping pay for driving lessons. Any agreement to support the joint funding of driving lessons should be discussed with the young person, a shared cost agreed, and put to the Corporate Parenting Manager. There is no expectation that either the local authority or young people will fund the whole cost.