Care-experienced young people with immigration or asylum status are urged to seek specialist advice, such as:
Important words and what they mean
As a young person in the country with no adult to supervise and care for you, you may become a child in care.
If you are a child in care for more than 13 weeks after the age of 16, you will become a care leaver and have a personal advisor.
It may be extra challenging for you as English may not be your first language, but you are entitled to support and clear advice in your language. If you need it please ask, and we will help with translation. (This will be limited to important documents)
What we do?
The leaving care service works with young people leaving care aged 16 to 25. All young people who are eligible for a service are entitled to support up to the age of 25 regardless of their circumstances.
If you’re not sure whether the offer applies to you, or if there is anything else in this guide that you don't understand, speak to your social worker or personal advisor.
If you don’t have a social worker or personal advisor, get in touch with the leaving care team and they will be able to let you know whether the offer applies to you.
If you’ve had a personal advisor in the past and would like some support from the leaving care team again, please get back in touch.
At 16 (or soon after coming into care before you turn 18) you will be supported by a personal advisor and a social worker up to 18. At 18 you will no longer have a social worker, but the leaving care team will be with you, if you want, up to the age of 25.
At 21 we step you forward to a less intensive service. We want you to be your own independent adult in your own rights, but you are still fully entitled to come back to us at any time and access support offering information, advice and guidance from the leaving care service up to the age of 25.
Being your corporate parents means Lincolnshire, the seven district councils and our partners must provide you with certain support and services, some of these are in law. We want to support you and offer every opportunity you need to be the best you can possibly be and to achieve your goals.
How can we help?
The team will work closely with you, your social worker and your carers when you are 16 and 17. This will ensure that you are ready and able to make a successful move into adulthood.
We will support and advocate on your behalf. We will carry out a six-monthly pathway review meeting with you and other agencies and organisations that may be helping you.
We offer funding for new home grants, help by paying for education and have options for apprenticeships and employment support.
Our promise to you
As a department, we will:
- respect and honour your identity
- believe in you, take your views into account and never give up on you
- discuss your needs with you and listen to your views
- give you the information you need in every aspect of life, including opportunities and rights
- support you with your needs and the decisions you have to make
- enhance your life skills to help you find and manage a home
- listen to you and be available when possible
We know that managing your money can be challenging, so we will help you to:
- open a bank account
- claim benefits
- get your National Insurance Number if you don’t have or know it
- deal with any emergencies
- set up your home grant for purchasing items, such as furniture
- get grants, discounts and funding that you are eligible for
- manage health costs, such as prescriptions, dental care or glasses
- use your £2000 setting up home grant
Rent gap
If you are a young person who has left the care of Lincolnshire County Council and you are struggling to cover the gap between your income and the cost of rent and supported living, speak to your personal advisor as help may be available. You may be eligible for a short period of discretionary additional funding to help meet you the costs of living in supported housing. Speak to your personal advisor for more information
Options available to you
If you are under 18, we must pay for your housing and make sure it is suitable.
A move to independent living can be a big step so we can give you options, such as:
- returning home for a short time
- remaining with a foster carer
- moving to supported lodgings
- a semi-independent option
Once you are 18:
- you are responsible for paying your rent and expenses
- if you remain in education, we will only pay for accommodation during holidays
Supporting at college or other education programmes
We will help you receive the financial support you are entitled to at school or college. Depending on your age, type of course and other circumstances, we will help with:
- registration and exam fees
- textbooks and software specified as essential
- activities essential to meet course requirements
- public transport between home and place of learning
- transport to open days and interviews
- specific clothing, such as for interview or course equipment
If you are 18 or 19 and in full-time education, you may be entitled to the 16 to 19 bursary fund. Care leavers are a priority group for this funding which can be up to £1,200 per year.
If you are 20 or over, we can help you access other funding sources to support you in education and training.
Supporting you at university
We commit to supporting you to succeed at university. Your personal adviser will help you to apply and prepare. They will continue to support you throughout your course if you wish.
They can work with you to ensure you have accommodation, transport, equipment and financial support. They can also help you to apply for any care leaver grants or bursaries that may be available to you at your university.
Further help
We will give you £25 on your birthday (£50 for your 21st) and £50 each year for your festival (for example Christmas)
Young parents may be entitled to help with childcare costs.
See our leaving care and looked after children finance handbook for more in depth details
If you need to understand anything about your time in care, please speak to your personal advisor.
Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the United Kingdom are:
- children outside their country of origin to seek asylum in the United Kingdom,
- separated from parents and relatives
- and, are not in the care of someone responsible for doing so
If you are a care leaver with immigration or asylum status, you will have lots of forms and tasks to complete before turning 18 and every few years after that. Your personal advisor will help you with this and translate important documents for you
If things are not done on time, it can harm your chances of staying in the UK so we urge you to work with your solicitor and personal advisor.
We will give you clear advice through your pathway plan to ensure you get the support you need
Status and housing pathways
Under 18 with no immigration status
You are currently placed in accommodation funded by Lincolnshire County Council and accommodated under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 as you are a child in care while you are under 18.
Although you may live outside the county, Lincolnshire remains responsible for your care. At present, you do not have immigration status, which means you are unable to rent privately or join council housing registers when you turn 18.
Lincolnshire will continue to support you with accommodation until you turn 21 or receive a final decision on your asylum claim. If your claim is refused and all appeal rights are exhausted, you will be offered a human rights assessment, where we will identify if you returning to your country breaches your human rights. If no breach is identified, Lincolnshire will no longer provide accommodation support.
When you turn 18, if your current placement is only suitable for under-18s, your social worker and leaving care worker will work with you to plan a move to more suitable accommodation. They will aim to find appropriate housing in your current area if that is your preference. If no vacancies are available, accommodation in Lincolnshire will be considered, as the council has a duty to house you while your asylum claim is ongoing.
If your placement allows you to remain beyond the age of 18, you may stay until you are 21, provided you follow the rules and are not served notice.
Under 18 with immigration status
You currently have five years’ leave to remain, which entitles you to apply for council housing three months before you turn 18 and private rental options.
Your accommodation is funded by Lincolnshire County Council until you reach 18 years old, which retains responsibility for your care as you are a child.
You have a local connection to all Lincolnshire districts – there are seven different districts across Lincolnshire which your social worker and leaving care worker can show you on a map to make this easier to see. This enables you to join council housing registers and apply for homelessness assistance if you do not have a permanent address through no fault of your own when you turn 18.
You can be supported to make a homeless application 56 days before you turn 18. Your social worker or leaving care worker will be able to support you with this.
If you wish to live outside Lincolnshire, you will be supported to explore private rental options. These are typically shared properties due to affordability. Often shared properties are shared facilities and with bills included. However, some do require a service charge paid. You may apply to be on the housing registers in other areas, but you are unlikely to receive priority and may face long waiting times.
Over 18 with no immigration status
You are currently placed in accommodation funded by Lincolnshire County Council. Although you may live outside of Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire remains responsible for your care.
Without immigration status, you cannot rent privately or join council housing registers.
Lincolnshire will continue to support you with accommodation until you turn 21 or receive a final decision on your asylum claim.
If your claim is refused and all appeal rights are exhausted, you will be offered a human rights assessment, where we will identify if you returning to your country breaches your human rights.
If no breach is identified, Lincolnshire will no longer provide accommodation support.
If you are still awaiting a decision after turning 21 and are engaged in education, Lincolnshire will continue to pay for your accommodation until your claim outcome is received. If you are over 21 and are not in education, you may be referred to the home office for accommodation and financial support. You will continue to receive support from Lincolnshire’s information, advice and guidance service.
Over 18 with immigration status
If you receive a positive outcome from your asylum appeal and are granted five years’ leave to remain, you will be given notice to leave your current accommodation as you will be entitled to apply to be on the housing register or for private rented accommodation and claim housing benefits depending on your employment or education.
If you are living in a Locate accommodation property, you may be offered a six-month tenancy if you are in education and have not received tenancy warnings.
During this time, you should consider what type of accommodation is affordable and suitable for your needs, including making applications to the housing department. If you are not in education or are not offered a tenancy by Locate, you will be given four to six weeks’ notice to leave.
With your consent, a care leavers homelessness referral will be made to a Lincolnshire district. Referrals cannot be made to Peterborough or other local authorities, as they do not have a duty to house you and often reject such referrals.
Although you may live outside Lincolnshire, the council remains responsible for supporting you with your housing needs and will assist you to find suitable accommodation within any of the seven Lincolnshire districts. We will also support you to find suitable accommodation outside Lincolnshire if you wish, but the council does not have a responsibility to fund your housing outside of the seven districts which you have a local connection to.
As a Lincolnshire care experienced young person you gain local connection to all Lincolnshire districts, which allows you to automatically join housing registers and apply for homelessness assistance for emergency accommodation within Lincolnshire.
If you do not wish to live in Lincolnshire, you will be supported to explore private rental options. Affordable options will likely be shared accommodations in houses of multiple occupancy. Single flats or studios are typically unaffordable without full-time employment.
You will also be supported in seeking private rental options if you wish to remain in Peterborough. However, we advise that you consent to a referral to a Lincolnshire district in case private accommodation is not secured before your notice period ends. This will help prevent homelessness.
OR
Alternative scenario: supported accommodation in Nottingham, Derby, or Leicester
If you are living in supported accommodation in Nottingham, Derby, or Leicester and are in education, your leaving care worker may request a top-up payment to extend your stay until the end of the academic term. This helps avoid disruption to your education.
Although you live outside Lincolnshire, the council remains responsible for your housing. You have a local connection to all Lincolnshire districts and can access housing support there.
If you do not wish to live in Lincolnshire, you will need to explore private rental options, which are likely to be shared accommodations. Single flats or studios are generally unaffordable without full-time employment.
If you are not in education or your top-up period ends, you will be given four to six weeks’ notice to leave. With your consent, a homelessness referral will be made to a Lincolnshire district. Referrals cannot be made to Nottingham or other authorities, as they do not have a duty to house you and often reject such referrals.
You will also be supported in seeking private rental options if you wish to remain in Nottingham. Again, we advise that you consent to a referral to Lincolnshire in case private accommodation is not secured in time, to avoid homelessness.
Applying for council tendency
Firstly, apply for housing through the local authority (often known as council tenancy or property). You will need to make an application for housing. After you’ve made an application for housing the local authority will assess your current situation and decide whether you are in ‘priority need’ ( as unaccompanied asylum-seeking child or separated child you gain high priority). They will also consider your ‘local connection’ to the area (how long you’ve lived in the area, whether you have family in the area, work or school, education commitments). You should receive a personal housing plan (PHP) explaining the steps that you and the council agree to take to secure you accommodation.
Because you are classed as care experienced young person local connection can be hard to get if you are not living in Lincolnshire as not all local authorities offer housing if you are from other areas.
It is important to understand that if the local authority offers you some accommodation after you make an application, it is important that you are aware that if you refuse this offer, they may decide that you are intentionally homeless and no longer support you. After you have accepted an offer, you will have the option to challenge the suitability of the accommodation (including location or condition).
Private rented accommodation
Private rented housing means renting a home from a landlord (not the council or a housing association). This could be:
- a room in a shared house
- a flat or house on your own
You need to consider if you are able to pay the rent through either your salary from working or universal credit which is a benefit that can help you with living costs, including rent.
Housing across the UK is limited and very expensive. So is important to understand that if a room or a house share is identified in an area that will accept universal credits you need take advice from services around if to accept this home as options will be limited.