Housing options
Housing options should be discussed and set out in your Pathway Plan. There are a range of different options available for young people at 18, including ‘Staying Put’, living with a birth family member, supported lodgings and semi-independent living schemes. When you are ready, you will be able to move into your own independent accommodation.
Staying Put
‘Staying Put’ arrangements allow you to stay living with your foster parents, perhaps until you are 21. This is not continued foster care as you will be a young adult with rights and agreed responsibilities. Legally, you become a lodger and will pay rent (from wages, or benefits). Staying Put gives you extra time to learn skills for adult life, ready to move into your own home.
Supported Lodgings
This is similar to Staying Put, but with a new family who will support you to learn skills for adult life. You will have a legal tenancy agreement as a lodger, and pay rent. You will have your own furnished room and access to a bathroom and kitchen.
Semi-independent living unit
This is usually a room in a shared house, with staff available at all times. you will have your own bedroom and access to a shared kitchen and bathroom. The staff will support you to learn skills for adult life, ready to move on to your own home.
Returning home to your family
It may be an option to live with your mum or dad, or another family member. If you would like to do this, check with your social worker what would happen if it didn’t work out as planned and you needed to move out. Also find out if you can get any help with the cost of furniture for your room if needed.
Student accommodation
If you go to university, you can rent a room in student accommodation. Some universities, and some local authorities, provide financial help with these costs, but most don’t and you will probably need to pay using your Student Finance maintenance loan.
Your own home
When you’re ready, you will be able to apply to the local council for a home. As a care leaver, you have ‘priority’ status, and can apply for a one-bedroom property. This does not mean that something will be available at the moment you need it, and you may have to wait a while. As a care leaver, under the Homelessness Reduction Act (2017), you can claim a ‘local connection’ in both your ‘home’ area and the area in which you lived in foster care. This means you can apply for social housing in both areas.
If there is no social housing available, your local authority may help you to find a private rented home.
When you move into your own home, your local authority will help you financially with the cost of buying furniture and equipment for your home. This only covers the basics, so it is a good idea to keep some of your savings from foster care as you will need them at this point.
Rent and Benefits
Wherever you live, you will need to pay rent. If you are not in work, or have a low income, you can apply for help with housing costs through Universal Credit. This help is not available if you move home to live with family.
Most single adults under the age of 35 can only get help with housing costs for a room in a shared house. However, as a care leaver, until you are 25, you will be exempt from this ‘shared housing rate’. This means you can be supported to pay for a one-bedroom property. From 25, the exemption ends and you will need to be able to pay more rent to afford a one-bedroom property. Finding paid employment is therefore very important.
As a care leaver, you can ask for payments to be made directly to your landlord. We advise you to do this, so that you can avoid falling into debt and losing your home as a result.
Tenancy Agreements
A Tenancy Agreement is drawn up when you rent a property. It is an agreement between you and your landlord, and sets out what both of you must do. For example:
- The cost of rent, and when it must be paid;
- Whether rent includes utilities such as gas, electric and water (this is not usually included);
- If visitors are allowed to say overnight;
- Parts of the property that you are expected to maintain, e.g. cleaning windows, mowing lawn;
- Things that you must get permission to do, e.g. decorating, hanging pictures on the wall;
- How much notice you both need to give to end the tenancy agreement.
Household Bills
When you have your own home, you will need to pay for household ‘utilities’ including electricity, water and gas. This might be included in your rent, most likely if you have a room in a shared house, or live in student accommodation. You will probably have a ‘prepayment meter’ for electricity and gas, which means that you pay for these before using them. This stops you from getting into debt.
All households have to pay Council Tax to the local council. This pays for local facilities including waste collection, libraries, leisure facilities and street lighting. As a care leaver, you might not have to pay this for the first few years, but this depends on where you live.
You can choose to pay for household insurance, which will protect you against loss from burglary and fire, for example.
It’s a good idea to keep some money in savings for repairs to appliances such as your washing machine and fridge freezer.
Home Safety
Electricity and gas in the home must be treated with care to avoid fire, explosions and electrocution. Never DIY with electric and gas – always use qualified electricians and ‘Gas Safe’ engineers, and this will be arranged by your landlord.
Gas
Gas appliances in the home (e.g. boiler, heater) should be checked annually for safety. This is the landlord’s responsibility. A gas leak can cause an explosion, and faulty appliances may emit carbon monoxide, which can cause severe illness and death.
If you ever smell gas, call 0800 111 999 for the national gas emergency service who will investigate and ensure safety. They do not repair faulty equipment – this would be the landlord’s responsibility.
Electricity
Your landlord is required to have an electrical safety certificate for the property, with testing at least every 5 years. Do not try to fix any electrical problems – contact your landlord.
Do not use electrical items if the cords have exposed wired. This can cause electric shock and/or fire.
Don’t overload electrical sockets or extension leads. Only plug one heated appliance into a socket.
Keep electrical appliances away from water. Do not take electrical extension leads into bathrooms.
DIY
Your Tenancy Agreement will tell you what you might need to do around the house to keep it in good order – and what you need to ask the landlord to do/agree to you doing.
Things to start practising for when you need them:
- Paint a room;
- Put up a shelf and picture;
- Assemble flat-pack furniture;
- Unblock a plughole;
- Mow the lawn;
- Clean a window.
