As part of your pathway planning, it is important you are clear about your housing plans post 18. This should be clearly identified as you move towards your 18 birthday and your PA should be actively supporting you with this.
You and your PA will know what the most appropriate home is to meet your needs an assessment of your needs and independence skills is undertaken. Running a home is by yourself can be hard and the reality of living alone can be very different to what you expect it to be, so everyone must be sure your home and housing needs are well thought through and that you are not being set up to fail.
In Cumberland there is a range of different housing options available to you. These range from:
- staying put
- taster flat
- supported accommodation (24/7)
- semi-supported accommodation (12/7)
- Independent housing (your own tenancy)
What to do if you're at risk of becoming homeless
If you are in danger of becoming homeless call your PA or the duty PA.
Cumbria House Team
Telephone: 01228 221541
Email: Leavingcarecarlisleandeden@cumberland.gov.uk
West Cumbria House Team
Telephone: 01900 706 034
Email: Leavingcareallerdaleandcopeland@cumberland.gov.uk
You can also get support from charities such as Shelter. Contact the Shelter Advice Line on 0808 800 444.
The Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) have a duty to give help and advice to prevent homelessness. As a care experienced young person you're considered as a ‘priority need’ under the law. Other things can affect this, such as if you're homeless because of something that you have or have not done.
The LHA may also check that you have a local connection to the area you are making an application in. While they investigate your situation you may have to live in temporary accommodation. Your PA will work with you and the people who you are currently living with to see what can be done to provide some level of stability.
Staying put
If you are living within your foster family leading up to your 18th birthday and your foster carer and you decide that you would like to stay, then we will support you to do that under a staying put arrangement. This can last until you are 21. Staying put will help you maintain a supportive relationship with your foster carers and is a great option whereby you are supported into your adulthood with the people around you who are important to you.
Staying put allows you to stay with your foster carers so that you can get further help and support with independent living skills, budget planning and helping you develop the skills you need to live independently. Whilst you will have responsibilities such as paying board and other independent living skills you don’t have to do it all on your own as your foster carers are them to help you.
If you are going to university there is the option to stay, put so that you can return to your foster carers over the university holidays.
If you decide staying put is for you, we will help you apply for independent accommodation when you are moving towards your 21 birthday. Don’t worry if you decide to move towards independence earlier than 21 as the time is right, that’s fine too you can move out of your foster carers prior to your 21st birthday too.
Please speak to your PA about staying put if this is something that you want to learn more about. If both you and your foster carer agree this is something, we can plan for.
Supported lodgings
Supported lodgings is like foster care, where you live in a family home unlike staying put you don’t have to have lived there prior to you turning 18. Supported lodgings allows you to get further help and support with independent living skills, budget planning and helping you develop the skills you need to live independently. Whilst you will have responsibilities such as paying board and other independent living skills you don’t have to do it all on your own as your foster carers are them to help you.
Supported or semi-supported homes
Supported or semi-supported homes will allow you to develop your skills for independent living and managing a tenancy within a supportive environment. Supported and semi supported accommodation is where a few young people live together under one roof but where you have your own bedroom. In some accommodation you might have to share a kitchen, living room or bathroom and in others you don’t. Each one is slightly different.
Supported living has support staff around 24/7 where semi supported living has support staff there for most part of the day and usually a duty number for support if something was to happen overnight when the staff are away from the home. The team member who works in the supported living and semi supported homes are usually called support workers.
Semi supported accommodation is best when you already have a level of independence skills, such as knowing how to do your own cooking, cleaning, and laundry but where you would benefit from a range of support to meet your wider needs. Supported living (24/7) is usually when you have not lived independently before or not had the opportunity to develop your wider independent skills.
Each supported and semi supported home has a set of boundaries which make group living work. These include paying rent, keeping communal areas clean and tidy and staying in the home a set number of nights. If you are staying out of the supported living home outside of the set number of nights or not paying the contribution towards your rent, you will be at risk of losing your tenancy which means you will struggle to be accepted for a home in your own right once you are ready.
Supported and semi supported accommodation is more common than independent tenancies when you move on from either your children’s home or foster family or if you have been made homeless. For some young people the idea of running your own home and having your own front door is most appealing, this doesn’t mean you’re always ready for it though so supported and semi supported is the best way for you to develop the independence skills you need. Once you are ready for your own home your support worker and PA will help with your move into your own tenancy. This will include getting signed up to bid for homes and where best it is for you to live.
Independent housing
If you are assessed as requiring independent accommodation where you are responsible for yourself and for paying your bills. We will support you to make an application so you can access registered social landlords. You will get a tenancy of your own.
Your PA will make a referral for floating support for you if you still need a little more support - this is so you can have more support with managing your tenancy and help you avoid arrears in your rent and bills. We know it can be very hard having your own place for the first time and we will support you the best we can to make that easier for you and ease some of the pressures.
Your PA or floating support worker will help you make a claim for housing benefit and look at the support on offer to you as part of the set-up meeting with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Remember its always best to book the meeting in with the DWP to look at what you are entitle to well ahead of any move.
If you do not keep on top of your bills and keep to your tenancy agreement, you may be at risk of losing your accommodation. Your bills (water, gas and electricity) can all be paid for monthly through your bank. This is often a much better option than running up bills so please do put in place your budget plan of any move, by doing your budget and saving plan with your support worker and PA ahead of the move you will be able to think about what money you have left for other items such as food and leisure.
University accommodation (holiday periods)
We will provide you with accommodation during university holidays (or fund this if you make your own arrangements) if you cannot stay within your term time accommodation or return to your home area. Your PA will help you plan this and look to see what your options are. What you can claim is clear in the financial offer. Please refer to this to see what you are entitled to and remember to check this for any updates each year.
Council Tax
Care experienced young people who are aged over 18 years old are not required to pay Council Tax you are classed as being exempt from paying Council Tax between the ages of 18 to 25 years old based on your care experienced eligibility.
If you are living with someone else who is the home owner and responsible for the council tax on the home you will need to inform the Council Tax department that you are a care experienced young person under the age of 25 and claim any Council Tax discounts that you are entitled to, such as Council Tax Reduction, Single Person Discount, or Student Exemption.
Your pathway adviser can confirm your care experienced status with the Council Tax Department, for the exemption to be processed. This confirmation is usually in the form of a letter or email confirming your eligibility.
Discounts include:
- a Single Person’s discount of 25% is available if only one adult lives in the property, or if more than one adult lives in the property but all but one is ‘disregarded’
- students who are on a full-time or qualifying course of education do not have to pay any Council Tax; they are ‘disregarded’
Setting up home allowance and entitlements
You can access your setting up home allowance when you live in supported accommodation homes or your independent home. This will help you to start to get some of the key items which help you prepare and build up your items ready for when you have your own home.
For more information, read housing support for care experienced young people
Help with costs of moving house
You may be eligible for rent and deposit allowance and £50 towards luggage to help you move.
Talk to your pathway advisor to see what you're entitled to.
Find about more about allowances
Household Support Fund and unforeseen circumstances
The Household Support Fund may be able to help you if you are struggling to make ends meet. If eligible, you could get support with things like the cost of gas and electric, household appliances, and energy efficiency improvements. You might still qualify for support even if you are in work.
If there are other unforeseen circumstances or circumstances out of your control, we may be able to offer support:
- if you are waiting for your Universal Credit payment, we can provide you with a weekly allowance for up to 3 weeks
- if you are aged 18 to 21 years we can provide you with a weekly allowance until your Universal Credit comes through
- we can provide interpreters when needed
- If all other alternatives have been explored, your Personal Advisor can also help with a £25 food voucher
Please check the financial offer for what you are entitled to or speak with your PA for more advice. Remember the financial offer is updated so please do keep up to date with the latest version.