Homeless help if you're 16 or 17

Social services is responsible for helping you with housing and support if you're under 18 and homeless.

Social services is sometimes called children's services.

The council's homeless team must give you emergency housing if you go to them first.

Help from the homeless team

The homeless team must:

• give you emergency housing if you need it

• look at your situation and draw up a personal housing plan

• refer you to social services for a 'child in need' assessment

The homeless team cannot help if you do not meet immigration conditions but they should refer you to social services for housing and support.

Help from social services

Social services can give you support and find you somewhere to stay if you:

• cannot return home and have nowhere else to live

• are staying with friends or another family and have been asked to leave

• are unsafe in your home, for example, because you're at risk of violence or abuse

• are seeking asylum and have no family in the UK that you can live with

Will you have to go back to your family home?

If you ask for help, the council looks into your situation.

They might speak to your parents or other family members to check if you can stay safely with them.

Your welfare is the top priority.

You should not be told to return somewhere where:

• you feel unsafe

• you're at risk of violence or abuse

• you've been told you cannot stay or must leave

If you could go home or stay with someone else, the council should give you emergency housing until they're sure those options are safe.

Find out about leaving home because of family problems.

Housing you might get

The council might offer you a place in a:

• hostel or foyer

• foster carer's home

• shared house with other young people

• volunteer's home through a scheme called Nightstop

You should accept what the council offers even if you do not want to stay there. You might not get anything else if you turn it down.

You should not be left without anywhere to stay if you're under 18 and homeless.

Help with rent and living costs

Social services must usually help you with rent and other living costs.

You cannot usually get benefits if social services help you with your living costs.

You can sometimes claim benefits if you have to live away from your parents because you’re at risk or have no contact with them.

Find out more from Turn2Us about claiming benefits if you're under 18.

Ongoing help when you turn 18

You count as being 'looked after' or 'in care' if social services gives you somewhere to live while you're 16 or 17.

You usually get help to move into longer term housing when you turn 18.

You have a priority need if you become homeless again while you're still under 21. This means the homeless team must usually help with emergency or longer term housing.

This applies even if you only spend a few days in care while aged 16 or 17. For example, if social services gives you somewhere to stay but you can then return to your family.

If you're in care for more than 13 weeks, you can get advice and support from social services until your 25th birthday.

You might not get this help if you're only provided with emergency housing by the homeless team while you're under 18.