What support am I entitled to?

The level of support you will get from your local authority doesn’t just depend on how old you are – unfortunately it’s not that simple!

To see what your local authority should do to help you, you need to work out which category you fit into below. It’s a bit complicated, and even some professionals have trouble remembering it all!  

Don’t give up though – this is really important to understand as young people in different categories will be entitled to different levels of support.  

Take a deep breath and plunge in!

Have you had at least 13 weeks of being looked after since you were 14, some of which has been since your 16th birthday? (The 13 weeks doesn't have to be continuous, but it can't include 'short break' care)

Yes...

No...

a) Are you: 16 or 17 and still in care?

Then you are what is called an ‘eligible child’. If you are an eligible child you will have a pathway plan when you are 16 saying how children’s services will help you get ready for leaving care.

Then you were an 'eligible child' and have now become what is called a ‘relevant child’.

(You would also be a ‘relevant child’ if you were an ‘eligible child’ who had returned home, but that broke down and you went back to the local authority for help before you were 18.)

If you are a ‘relevant child’, the local authority must provide you with somewhere suitable to live and enough money to live on. They must continue to do this until you are 18 and become a ‘former relevant child’.

They must keep in touch with you, stick to your pathway plan, and help you to achieve the goals in it. They must review the pathway plan regularly and keep a record of the outcomes of the review meetings.  

They must appoint a personal adviser to help you. You will receive support until you are 21, or if you are staying in education or training the support will continue until that ends.

If you are leaving care aged 18 and you were an ‘eligible child’ before your 18th birthday you have now become a ‘former relevant child’.  (You are also a ‘former relevant child’ if you were a ‘relevant child’ until you were 18.)

The local authority must still keep in touch with you, maintain your pathway plan and help you achieve the goals in it, and appoint a personal adviser for you. This support must go on until you are 21 or, if you are continuing in education, until the end of that programme.

If you are in higher or further education and living in accommodation provided by the college, but have to move out during the holidays, the local authority must give you somewhere to live then.

If you are not continuing in education there may be some support with housing, depending on what option you choose. Otherwise you will be responsible for sorting out your living and financial arrangements yourself, with the help of your personal adviser, using the support of the local authority with housing and benefits in the same way as other adults.

If you are aged 16 to 21 and were looked after at any time after the age of 16 – but answered 'no' to the question above – then you are a ‘qualifying child’ and you are entitled to some help from your local authority.

You may also fall into this category if you have a ‘special guardianship order’ if you are under 18, or had one until you were 18 if you are older than that, and were in the care of the local authority before the special guardianship order was made.  

Your local authority may be able to help you with education and training up to the age of 24, or with holiday accommodation if you are taking a full time higher or further education course which gives you somewhere to live during term-time only.