Preparing to leave care

This content applies to England only.

Housing laws vary between England and Scotland. Get advice relating to Scotland

Many care leavers are entitled to ongoing help. Social services may be able to provide financial support and help to find a place of your own. In some circumstances they can provide accommodation. You may also be entitled to help from the housing department if you become homeless.

Your rights depend on how long you spent in care and how old you were at the time

The information on this page explains the help you can get if you leave care and you have spent a total of at least 13 weeks in care since the age of 14. The 13 weeks doesn't have to be all in one go. Any time that you have spent being looked after by a charity, the local council, a health authority, children's home or with foster parents counts.

If you spent less than 13 weeks in care, you are still entitled to help but the rules are different. If this applies to you, get advice. An adviser can check what help you are entitled to and may be able to help you find a place to live. Use the advice services directory to find an advice centre in your area.

If you are under 16 and are thinking of leaving care, your rights are very different because you are still considered to be a child. If you are having serious problems where you are living or are experiencing violence, abuse or bullying, you may want to leave straight away. If you are in this situation, contact Childline on 0800 1111. Childline advisers can help with lots of different problems - not just housing - and are available 24 hours a day.

What you should do before you leave care

People who have left care are more likely to become homeless than other young people but being well prepared can reduce the risk. Social services have a legal duty to help you and can make it easier to become independent. Make sure that they give you a personal adviser and put together a pathway plan (see below). It's worth taking advantage of all the help you are entitled to.

Talking to your personal adviser

As part of your leaving care package, social services has to give you a personal adviser. the adviser must assess what help you need to live independently. This could include:

helping you find and keep somewhere to live
asking the housing department of the council to help you
helping you apply for a grant or loan to help cover your housing costs
putting you in contact with specialist agencies that help young people
making sure you can deal with living independently, including managing your money and cooking your own meals.

Putting together a pathway plan

Your personal adviser must put together a pathway plan with you, setting out what help and support you will need after you leave care.

The pathway plan should detail what accommodation you need and specify how your needs will be met and who will meet these needs. It should also cover financial support, life skills such as cooking and budgeting, education, training, employment and any special support you need. The plan should look beyond your immediate needs and should consider what you are likely to need in the near future and how those needs will be met.

When you leave care, your adviser should keep in touch (at least until you turn 21) and should go over your pathway plan with you to see how you are getting on. Your pathway plan should be updated regularly to take your progress and ongoing needs into account.

Working out your finances

Your housing options depend on how much money you have. You need to work out what you can realistically afford. Think about how much it will cost to get your own place and how you will pay for it. Your personal adviser should help you with this. Bear in mind the following:

Most care leavers can't get housing benefit until they turn 18.
If you rent from a private landlord you normally have to pay one month's rent as a deposit and one month's rent in advance before you move in. There may also be restrictions on the amount of housing benefit you can get, although these won't apply until you are 22 if you have spent time in care after your 16th birthday.
You will have to pay for gas, electricity, water and a phone. You may have to pay to have these services connected and you may have to pay a deposit for these services.
You will need money for food, clothing and travel expenses.
You may need furniture and other household items.

If you are still under 18, social services is responsible for supporting you financially. This means that they have to ensure that you have enough money for the things you need, including rent and food. You probably won't be able to get accommodation from the housing department or claim benefits until you turn 18. The social services department is likely to be your only source of income.

If you will be over 18 when you leave, you may be entitled to some benefits. You can get housing benefit to help with rent even if you are working. Try to have some savings set aside for emergencies. If you move into somewhere that you can't really afford, you could run into financial problems. If you don't pay the rent, you can be evicted and if you don't have enough money for the bills, your services could be cut off. Borrowing money isn't usually a good idea as it could leave you with debts that are difficult to pay off.

Finding a place to live before you leave

Your personal adviser should help you find somewhere to live before you leave care as part of your pathway plan. It's important that you don't find yourself with nowhere to stay, no money and few housing options. Even if you can stay with family and friends for a few days, this can be stressful and may not be a long term option. It's essential that you don't end up sleeping on the streets - it is dangerous and can damage your health.

If you plan to claim housing benefit when you move in, you can find out how much of the rent it will pay for by getting a pre-tenancy determination. You will have to pay for everything that housing benefit doesn't cover yourself.

If you become homeless after you leave care

Care leavers are more likely to become homeless than other young people. If this happens to you, talk to your personal adviser as soon as you can, or use the advice services directory to find a citizens advice bureau or housing aid centre in your area. They may be able to help you find emergency accommodation while you look into your longer term options and check what help you are entitled to.

If you are under 18, social services is still responsible for you. If you go to the housing department for help, they will probably ask social services to help you.

If you are aged 18 to 21, you can get help from both departments. You will automatically be classed as being in priority need, so the housing department should help you find a place to live, at least temporarily. Social services can help you by providing support and help with training and education.

Some older care leavers can get accommodation from the housing department if they can show that they are in priority need. This may be the case if you are vulnerable as a result of having been in care - for example, if you haven't had a stable home since you left care, or you have slept on the streets in the past. You may be in priority need for other reasons - for example, if you have children, are pregnant or have physical or mental health problems.

Still unsure of your rights? Get advice.

The rules about what help you are entitled to and which department of the council has to provide it will depend on your age and your personal circumstances. If your personal adviser does not support you properly, or you become homeless, you should seek advice.

Use our advice services directory to find an advice centre in your area. They can explain your rights and give you an idea of what help social services are likely to give you if you ask them for help.

Many advice services (including Shelter's) are free and whatever you say is usually just between you and the adviser you speak to. They won't contact anyone else about your situation unless you agree to it or you are in danger.

Download our free guide to find out more about your rights and options.