Introduction and principles
It is vital that young people are aware of their entitlements, it is also important that they are clear about how the local authority will provide any financial support. Care leavers are not a homogenous group, and the way financial support is provided should reflect their diversity of need, their individual ability and the circumstances of individual young people.
Managing money is a fact of life, and it is our parental responsibility to ensure young people understand its value, and deal with the challenges and frustrations that come with managing money, often on a limited income.
This document’s guiding principle is to define for the children in care teams and leaving care services what our offer is to our young people, and how we can offer the very best support to help them grow to independence.
It is expected that the leaving care service and the local authority will spend money wisely and use entitlements and funds to maximise the outcomes for our care leavers from the age of 16.
The overarching principle is that services will support young people as best they can to become independent and to not become reliant on direct financial support from the local authority.
Whilst we ensure that support is there, the approach cannot be one of blanket funding, the offer to each young person should be proportionate, planned, well justified and recorded in their pathway plan. It is also essential that professionals support young people, where possible, to save money for their education and their adult life, and it is an expectation in Lincolnshire that that all children in care will have a savings account soon after their 16th birthday.
This document outlines the financial protocols of Lincolnshire County Council’s leaving care service.
The service is delivered by Barnardo’s on behalf of Lincolnshire County Council.
The young people referred to in this document are those young people who are eligible, relevant, former relevant and qualifying young people under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and the Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010. The information contained within the document is important for all young people who are moving from foster or residential placement and those in staying put placements.
This brief document should be used in conjunction with the up-to-date leaving care offer.
The payment rates are current for the year April 2022 to March 2023.
Definitions of leaving care support categories
There are four categories of young people and care leavers who are entitled to support from the leaving care service after their 16th birthday.
To see if you qualify, see the Coram Voice page
Living allowance
If a young person receives a living allowance, it will be paid at £60 per week.
Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC)
Most children who arrive in the UK seeking asylum without a parent or guardian, make an application to the Home Office, and are granted discretionary leave for three years or until they are 17 and a half years old, whichever comes first. They then can make an application for this leave to be extended, and as long as they do this before their original leave has expired, they will usually have access to public funds, which includes entitlement to welfare benefits, whilst they are awaiting a decision from the Home Office.
Asylum seeking young people within the leaving care service will have equal access to financial support from the leaving care service and all former UASC at 18 will be considered former relevant when turning 18 unless they have not sent the prerequisite time in care, or they have left care for more than 6 months prior to that date. Depending on their immigration status, they may have differing entitlements to public funds which could affect their entitlement to claim welfare benefits and to accessing education related funding.
Young people who are entitled to support after they turn 18 include:
- young people who have not had a decision on their initial asylum application when they turn 18 (an issue that usually affects those who have arrived within two months of their 18th birthday)
- young people who have an outstanding appeal against an outright refusal of asylum upon turning 18
- over 18 former UASC's who have humanitarian or refugee status are also entitled to leaving care support from UK visas and immigration as well as housing benefits and income support or job seekers.
If a young person does not have status and no decision has been made about their asylum claim, but they turn 18, then the local authority retains the duty to support young people with accommodation and living allowance until young people can access public funds. Ordinarily young people continue to live in supported living until they receive their decision, however, if they need to move on from pre-arranged accommodation then a rent gap request must be made to cover rental cost at a rate of no more than £160 per week. Requests for additional top up funds or a rent gap should be made to the corporate parenting manager.
Request for additional top up funds should be made to Corporate Parenting Manger
Once there has been a decision by the Home Office in respect of the young person's application for leave to remain in the UK then their status in the UK will change, and so may their entitlement to financial support by the local authority.
It is imperative that the local authority and leaving care service are up-to-date with any Home Office decisions and so the process of the application with the Home Office should be checked prior to every review being held. In most cases, this will be before a pathway plan review.
As from 1 April 2019, once a young person who is over 18 becomes all rights exhausted.
They will be given notice that any financial support from the local authority will cease after 12 weeks, and a human rights assessment should be completed as quickly as possible.
Should the young person have a further appeal granted by the Home Office, then funding will resume until the appeal has been heard. In matters where people secure a further claim, staff should secure written confirmation of this before recommencing support.
If the decision on their asylum claim is negative, then their right to access to public funds ceases at that point. For those young people who are refused asylum and have exhausted all their appeal rights, their entitlement to public funds, including welfare benefits, also ends.
Leaving care staff will work in partnership with the UK Border Agency and the National Asylum Support Service to provide financial support to these young people whilst they are waiting for instructions and assistance in leaving the country.
At the point of being determined ARE, information, advice and guidance support is also withdrawn and is only reinstated if a fresh claim is accepted, or at the discretion of the Corporate Parenting Manager.
A young person who is ARE may apply for section 4 support provided by central government. This would apply to former UASCs who are over 18 and have had their asylum claims rejected by the Home Office, but only if they are destitute; and satisfy one or more of the conditions set out below:
- the person is taking all reasonable steps to leave the UK or place themselves in a position in which they are able to leave the UK. This could include complying with attempts to obtain a travel document to facilitate departure
- the person is unable to leave the UK by reason of a physical impediment to travel or for some other medical reason
- the person is unable to leave the UK because in the opinion of the Secretary of State there is currently no viable route of return available
- the person has made an application for judicial review of a decision in relation to their asylum claim and been granted permission or leave to proceed
- the provision of accommodation is necessary for the purpose of avoiding a breach of a person’s convention rights, within the meaning of the Human Rights Act 1998.
Qualifying young people (section 24)
A qualifying child who is 16 or 17 years old and has previously been looked after, but ceased to be looked after at least 6 months before their 18th birthday, does not have the same restrictions to claiming welfare benefits as eligible and relevant young people do.
As a result of this, the local authority and leaving care service will not pay a personal allowance or pay for the accommodation costs for these young people. All qualifying children aged 18+ who would like a service from the leaving care service will have their needs assessed and be supported through information advice and guidance.
Where, following an initial assessment, it is concluded that support will be necessary over a period, a plan will be drawn up with the young person. The plan will outline the support to be provided to the young person.
Former relevant young people (section 23C)
Care leavers continue to receive a service from leaving care until they are 21 and can access an information advice and guidance service from 21 up to 25.
However, if young people are in education or training, in which case their leaving care service can continue fully until they reach the end of their agreed programme of education and training (which can take them beyond their 21st birthday). In these circumstances, any financial support that is agreed and provided to the young person will be detailed within their pathway plan.
Those whose service stepped down at 21 and have yet to reach 25, who wish to return to education can request support from the leaving care service and a new assessment will be completed. Section 6 item C.
Young people who are subject to special guardianship orders
Special guardianship regulation 22 guidance states that 'time spent under a special guardianship order is relevant when considering the child's entitlement to leaving care services'.
Section 24(2) of the Children Act 1989 defines a person qualifying for information advice and guidance. This includes a young person aged 16 to 18 who immediately before the making of the special guardianship order was looked after by the local authority.
Children who were in care immediately before the granting of a special guardianship order qualify for advice and assistance under Section 24 (1A) of the Children Act 1989.
Young people in education
a) 16- and 17-year-olds
- personal allowance - the leaving care service has a duty to provide for the maintenance of young people who are eligible or relevant. This living allowance (of £60) is paid to each young person. This is paid if they are living independently, in supported lodgings, or other accommodation.
- rent - 16- and 17-year-olds who are eligible or relevant are unable to claim benefit until they are 18. Where they have a liability to pay rent, it is the duty of the leaving care service to pay this. Rents vary according to the accommodation and support provided. For young people with specific requirements, the leaving care service may meet additional housing costs post 18 (see appendix 1)
- financial assistance for those in education
The EMA scheme has been replaced by the 16-19 bursary fund. Where this is payable, it is administered via a specific college and covers core equipment and college travel.
Young people in care and care leavers will be eligible to receive a bursary of up to £1200. To be eligible the young person must be aged under 19 on 31 August in the academic year in which they start their programme of study. Where a young person turns 19 during their programme of study, they can continue to be supported until the end of the academic year in which they turn 19, or to the end of the programme of study, whichever is sooner.
Young people must also satisfy the residency criteria:
- must have the legal right to be resident in the UK at the start of their programme
- any person who is appeals rights exhausted will ordinarily be ineligible for funding until their situation has been resolved to the satisfaction of the Home Office, as funding should only be claimed for learners who can complete their programmes
- the person must have been ordinarily resident in the UK for the three years preceding the relevant date (the first day of the first academic year of the course)
- the person must be settled in the UK, this means having either indefinite leave to enter or remain, or having the right of abode in the UK.
b) 18- to 21-years-old
i) further education (non-advanced)
Definition: any course which leads to a qualification below the standard of degree, for example: GCSEs, A’ Levels, NVQ or SVQ level 1, 2 or 3, BTEC National Diploma, National Certificate and 1st Diploma, SCE higher grade or similar and is deemed to be full
- benefits entitlement or living allowance - young people leaving care who remain in further (non-advanced) education and are not living with their parents or anyone acting in place of a parent, are likely to be eligible to claim benefit through Universal Credits when they are 18 and until their 21st Birthday or the end of the course.
- rent or housing benefit - young people who are in further (non-advanced) education and have a liability to pay rent are likely to be eligible for benefit through Universal Credit between the ages of 18 and 21. For young people with specific requirements, the leaving care service may meet additional housing costs post 18 (see appendix 1)
- earnings - for Universal Credit payment single people have a £15 per week earnings disregard. Anything they earn over £15 per week will be deducted from their weekly amount of benefit. For Housing Benefit element if the young person’s income is less than or equal to the applicable amount, they will get all their eligible rent paid for in Housing Benefit. If their income is greater than that, a calculation will be made to determine their entitlement.
c) Advanced education and student finance 21+
- for young people aged 21+ and who, either remain in or return to education and training up to their 25th birthday, it is possible that the leaving care service will provide some financial support.
- any financial support offered to young people in these circumstances will be based on their assessed needs, including the appropriateness of the course, how it will help them to achieve their ambitions, and what other options are available to that young person to help them to attain their long-term goals. Workers should use the application form for support post 21 for education to verify their assessment.
It is the expectation that, where possible, young people find part time work and support themselves, so they are not solely reliant on the leaving care service. Any agreed support details will be recorded in the young person’s pathway plan and agreed with a line manager. Young people from 16 should be actively encouraged to seek out part time work and learn the value of work and money.
Young people aged 21 years and over who continue with further education, may obtain support with course fees, however most will have to apply for an advanced learner loan and associated bursary along with discretionary support from education settings. There are also several charitable trusts and grants that can be accessed through the leaving care worker.
Where all these avenues for the funding of course fees have been explored, the Leaving Care Service may be able to provide some discretionary financial support. This will be based on the assessed needs of the young person, including the appropriateness of the course, how it will help them to achieve their ambitions, and what other options are available to that young person to help them to attain their long-term goals. These details will be recorded in the young person’s Pathway Plan and agreed with a line manager and support the request for funding.
ii) Advanced education
Definition: A Degree, Diploma of Higher Education (DHE), NVQ level 4 or above, BTEC Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND) or teacher training. Note this list is not exhaustive.
Student loans, grants, bursaries and fees
Lincolnshire County Council children's services expects all care leavers undertaking an advanced course of study to apply for all relevant bursaries, loans and scholarships available. It is essential that the young person identifies themselves as a Care Leaver to the university to ensure that they access the full range of funds that are available to them. An increasing number of higher education institutions are providing increased support to care leavers. In addition most young people leaving care will be able to apply for a non-repayable maintenance grant. The leaving care service will complete a needs assessment taking into account the level of support available to a young person to determine the level of support to be offered.
Where bursaries and scholarships cannot be paid the leaving care service will pay up to £3000 per year towards tuition fees for university, the rest will have to be supported through an appropriate student loan. It is at the discretion of the leaving care service manager if the £3000 is to be used differently in order to enable the young person to access university. The decision and planned use of this money must be recorded in the pathway plan.
Rent
An increasing number of institutions are supporting young care leavers with the costs of accommodation. The care leaver will be supported to ensure that all relevant applications are made for accommodation subsidies.
The leaving care service will provide accommodation via either the staying put service or pay the full cost of accommodation during holiday periods. This is a duty under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000, and applies to all holidays within a course but not any time immediately preceding the first term or after the final term of the course as a whole. For those in staying put, a retainer will be paid to the previous foster carers to recognise their commitment to the individual young person.
A payment of no more than £150 per week can be paid to a supported lodgings provider to help pay for the support and care of a young person if they return to their home during holidays.
The young person will be responsible for paying their own term time rent via the loans available. They will not usually be eligible for benefit as a higher education student unless they are a lone parent or have a disability. If there is any doubt regarding eligibility, the young person should be supported by the leaving care worker to establish any entitlement.
Earnings
The young person should participate in part-time work whilst studying at university, as this is a realistic expectation on all young people. Student loans, grants and bursaries are not affected by any earnings.
Bursary
The leaving care service has a duty to provide a bursary to young people at university, as required within The Children Act 1989 (Higher Education Bursary) (England) Regulations 2009.
The total amount of the bursary is £2000 and is to be paid in four instalments of £500, as follows:
- first instalment – to be paid approximately one month before the start of the course, to enable the young person to pay for accommodation fees, deposits and any other pre-course expenses as required.
- second instalment – after successful completion of the first year of the course
- third instalment – after successful completion of the second year of the course
- fourth instalment – one month prior to the completion of the third year of the course.
Living allowance
In addition to the £60 living allowance up to 18 years of age, if the individual is living in London a £30 a week weighting may be given at the corporate parenting manager's discretion. A living allowance of £25 can be paid to those living independently in the community whilst in advance education or university and is only for students who are not living in student halls (for example - private rentals) and this is only during the academic year from September to June and should be set up just before September. The living allowance paid to those living independently whilst at university can be paid over the Easter and Christmas breaks. However, the sum will not be paid during the summer holiday period. This must be applied for via your leaving care worker and agreed with the corporate parenting manager.
iii) post graduate study (for example - masters or PhD)
Some young people may wish to continue onto masters level studies once they finish their first degree. Costs rise considerably with masters level courses although student loans are available for these. As a result all students need to be self funding. If a young person is able to demonstrate that they can be self supporting or they have extra savings to see them through their extra year of studies then the leaving care service will make a proportionate financial contribution for the duration of the course as long as the course is a continuation of the studies previously undertaken.
A financial assessment will be undertaken to establish what level of financial support would be considered reasonable. Any proposed financial support must be agreed with the corporate parenting manager.
Young people in work or training
a) 16- and 17-year-olds
Living allowance
The leaving care service has a duty to provide for the maintenance of young people who are eligible or relevant. All have an entitlement to the living allowance.
Rent
16-17-year-olds who are eligible or relevant are unable to claim housing benefit until they are 18 years old. Where they have a liability to pay rent, it is the duty of the leaving care service to pay this.
b) 18 years and over
Benefits entitlement
Young people aged over 18 years old who are attending a training course may be entitled to claim universal credit.
Rent and benefit
Young people who are over 18 years old and attending training courses can claim Benefit to help them to pay their rent.
Ordinarily the leaving care service does not make rent payments for young people over 18
Young people in work
a) 16- and 17-year-olds
Living allowance
The leaving care service has a duty to provide a living allowance for young people who are eligible or relevant.
Rent
16–17-year-olds who are eligible or relevant are unable to claim housing benefit until they are 18 years old. Where they have a liability to pay rent, it is the duty of the leaving care service to pay this. Any earnings will not affect these rental payments.
Ordinarily the leaving care service does not make rent payments for young people and any decision to do so must be agreed with the Corporate Parenting Manger.
b) 18 years and older
Earnings and benefits entitlement
A young person who is working could claim universal credit if they are on a low wage. leaving care worker should support young people in contacting DWP to verify what they are eligible to claim.
Rent or universal credit
Providing the young person has a liability to pay rent, they are eligible to make a claim. It is a means tested benefit, so the amount that they will receive will depend on their earnings.
Ordinarily the leaving care service does not make rent payments for young people
Young parents and pregnant women
a) 16- and 17-year-olds
Personal allowance
The leaving care service has a duty to provide for the maintenance of young people who are eligible or relevant.
Benefits
Once the baby is born, the young person may be able to claim benefits if they are a lone parent. This means that they must be living with, and responsible for, their baby, and not living with a partner. There may be other entitlements, and these should be explored with the young person and the leaving care worker should support them to access support via the DWP. 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.
b) 18 years and older
Income support
From 11 weeks before the baby is born, the pregnant young person may be able to claim benefits if they are a lone parent. If they are working, or have a partner who is working, these earnings will affect the claim, and they may be eligible for maternity pay or maternity allowance instead. Please seek advice from the benefits adviser regarding other benefits entitlement.
Young people with additional capital of their own
The Leaving Care Act states that:
Some young people may have funds of their own such as legacies, or income through employment.
The leaving care service should treat capital and income according to the DWP regulations governing income support (the Income Support (IS) (General) Regulations 1987). This sets out a scale whereby capital up to £3,000 is disregarded and someone with capital assets of £8,000 or more is not entitled to assistance. Where a young person’s capital exceeds £3,000 but is not more than £8,000 an amount corresponding to the excess is treated as a weekly contribution against council support. The details will be recorded in the pathway plan.
Where a young person has been awarded a sum in compensation for a criminal injury, the council should disregard that capital entirely in the case of a relevant child. The leaving care service should ensure that such a young person has access to sound financial advice about the best use for such funds, bearing in mind those normal rules – in respect of benefit entitlement or student loans will apply when the young person reaches 18. The need for sound financial advice is especially pressing in situations where a young person plans to stay put with a foster carer and teams should ensure young people are encouraged to seek advice as early as possible.
Universal credits
Universal credit has replaced the following benefits:
- child tax credit
- housing benefit
- income support
- income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)
- income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
- working tax credit
Benefits and entitlements are means tested and bespoke to individuals. In Lincolnshire we have an excellent working relationship with the DWP and each centre has a care leavers point of contact which can support care leavers to access the right benefits. Workers should refer to the joint protocol with DWP.
Council tax
Young people who are aged under 18 are not liable to pay council tax in Lincolnshire. They are also disregarded if living in someone else’s household, so will not affect any council tax benefit or discounts that the householder may be receiving. Once they reach 18 however, they do become liable to register for and pay council tax if they have their own tenancy. In Lincolnshire all 7 district councils have agreed that care leavers will be eligible for a council tax discount of 100% until the age of 22 when it will be incrementally introduced.
The following all offer council tax relief up to the age of 25:
- North Kesteven District Council
- Lincoln City Council
- South Kesteven District Council
- West Lindsey District Council
- East Lindsey District Council
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.
Incentives and contributions
The leaving care service can set up system of rewards and incentives linked for example, to attendance in education, training or other activities aimed at improving young people employability, their behaviour and educational attainment. Rewards and contributions systems will need to be based on a responsible corporate parenting model and administered in a way that will use incentives and contributions to encourage achievement and assist them to develop good budgeting and independence skills.
Staying put
Staying put is the term used for young people who continue to live with their foster carer after they turn 18. A licence agreement sets out the terms of their remaining. They may remain staying put until they are 21 or completion of education in that academic year.
The carer (provider) receives an allowance from staying put for the support they provide to the young person whilst they remain living at home.
Rent or benefit for staying put or supported lodgings
The young person can no longer be a looked after child once they have reached 18. If the plan is for them to stay living with an ex-foster carer beyond this date, they would be expected to pay rent to them, and the accommodation would be viewed as a private lodgings arrangement in terms of the rent due. The young person would be eligible to claim benefit to help them to pay this rent if they are on a low income.
As stated in the The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 3: Planning transition to adulthood for care leavers all allowances should be based on an assessment of need and be set out in the young person’s pathway plan. The plan must also highlight any attached conditions, how payments will be made, the frequency of payments and when they will be reviewed.
Appendix 1 - top up funding
Process outline
Leaving care worker submits request for financial assistance to team manager
- Is the care leaver under 21 years of age?
- If yes, proceed to step 2
- If no, stop
- Have all other avenues of financial support been exhausted?
- If yes, proceed to step 3
- If no, stop
- Is the care leaver making a reasonable contribution to rent or do they still not have their status agreed from the Home office?
- If yes, proceed to step 4
- If no, stop
- Has the case been fully presented to the service manager or corporate parenting manager?
- If yes, proceed to step 5
- If no, stop
- Has the funding been agreed by the budget holder and signed off by the assistant director?
- If yes, proceed to step 6
- If no, stop
- Barnardos make payment direct to landlord
- Additional payments tracked and reported or recovered monthly
- Review payments quarterly
- Are the payments still justified?
- If yes, proceed to step 6
- If no, stop
*Note – young people in education or training post 21 may be able to apply for rent gap support
Barnardo's Leaving Care offices
2 Deacon Road
Lincoln
LN2 4JB
Tel: 01522 575955