Financial support for care leavers
Find out about the financial support and advice available to you from your social worker.
There may be times when you find yourself short of food or struggling to pay some of your bills. We want to help if you are having difficulties.
If you speak with your social worker they will help you work out what help you need and make sure you have the right support moving forward. This could be helping you to make some budget plans or sorting out any benefit problems. They can also get you food parcels or help towards energy bills if things get really difficult – subject to financial assessment.
If you are a British Citizen or you have immigration status (such as limited leave to remain) you may be entitled to benefits to help you pay rent and money to live on.
You can speak to your social worker or keyworker who can help you.
Your social worker can connect you to City Advice who are experts on making the most of your money. They can also provide emergency vouchers if you have run out of money.
The department for work and pensions is the government department that pay most benefits, such as Universal Credit.
We want to celebrate your birthday and will give you £60 each for these, as well as for one religious festival a year, such as Christmas or Eid, until you are 21 years old.
You can get costs for interview clothes and shoes via the job centre.
You will be supported of up to £150 per year until you are 21 (unless you are in employment) to help with winter clothing/to assist with sportswear/clothes.
We will pay the cost of a council gym membership directly to your gym. If you do not want to go to the gym/swimming we can fund a sport/physical fitness activity up to the equivalent funding (currently £30). Use will be reviewed in your pathway plan as we want to support you to be fit and healthy.
You will need ID for lots of things. This includes opening bank accounts, starting a new job, getting a library card, accessing services and going abroad.
We want to make sure that you have a suitable form of photo ID, so we will support you to get your first adult passport or provisional drivers licence if you do not yet have British Citizenship. We will keep a copy of your immigration ARC card, and your provisional licence on our database so that we can support you to get a replacement if you lose it.
Your social worker can also access cycles via the Police schemes and via charitable organisations. It is important to wear a cycle helmet, and we will fund this for you.