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- You should have a Personal Adviser (PA) and Pathway Plan, and receive support with your housing, education, and related expenses. If you are aged 18 to 25 and spent time in care after your 16th birthday, but have been in care for less than 13 weeks in total since your 14th birthday, the law says you are a qualifying care leaver.
www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/help-at-hand/help-information-advice/i-am-a-care-leaver/
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Who is a Care Leaver? There are special rules about being able to get benefits when you are aged 16 or 17 and you are a ‘care leaver’. You are considered to be a care leaver if: You have been looked after by a local authority for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14 and you left care on or after your 16th birthday.
- Overview
- Principles of the Care Leaver Covenant
- Demonstrating our commitment
Updated 13 July 2023
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-work-and-pensions-care-leaver-covenant-offer/department-for-work-and-pensions-care-leaver-covenant-offer
We, the undersigned, recognise the challenges that young people face when they leave the care system and begin to live independently. We believe that all parts of society have a responsibility to support care leavers so that they can make a successful transition to adulthood. We hereby make a commitment to undertake the following actions that will help improve care leavers’ life chances.
We DWP support the key principles of the care leaver covenant, which are:
•That all parts of society have a responsibility to help care leavers to avoid poor outcomes and make a successful transition to adulthood.
We DWP will demonstrate our commitment to the care leaver covenant through the following actions:
•Supporting care leavers to prepare their claim for Universal Credit up to 28 days before their 18th birthday, by making a pre-claim appointment with the Jobcentre. This will help to ensure care leavers have the required documents to make their claim and that all relevant support is in place. Care leavers can take their Personal Adviser with them to their Jobcentre appointments.
•Supporting young people aged 16 – 24 claiming Universal Credit and searching for work through the DWP Youth Offer. This provides intensive work coach support through the Youth Employment Programme, helping young people access the right opportunities for them. This could include Sector-based Work Academy Programmes, work experience and apprenticeships.
•The Youth Offer also provides access to specialist Youth Employability Coaches who help young people overcome barriers to employment such as homelessness, addiction, and other complex needs. Eligible young people, including care leavers, will also have access to help from the range of partners available through co-delivered DWP Youth Hubs.
•Appointing a care leaver Single Point of Contact in every Jobcentre who can provide support to care leavers and colleagues if required. They will also act as a point of contact for the Local Authority Leaving Care team.
•Providing employment opportunities to care leavers, through participating in the Civil Service care leaver internship scheme.
Oct 26, 2018 · The Care Leaver Covenant (CLC) is part of the government’s keep on caring strategy to support people leaving care to become independent. It allows public, private and voluntary sector...
The legal definition of a care leaver comes from The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 which states that a Care Leaver is someone who has been in the care of the Local Authority for a period of 13 weeks or more spanning their 16th birthday.
If you are aged 18-21 (or 25 if still in full-time education), and spent less than 13 weeks in care since the age of 14, with at least one day on or after your 16th birthday, then you have the care status of a Qualifying Care Leaver.
Am I a care leaver? If you are aged 16 or 17, were in care for more than 13 weeks after your 14th birthday and left care on or after your 16th birthday, the law says you are a relevant...
You can get the 1 bed self contained local housing allowance (LHA) rate if you're a care leaver under 25 and renting privately. This is paid as part of your UC. If you have a shortfall between your benefits and your rent, you could ask your personal adviser if they can top up your benefits.
