Leaving care

You can leave care when you are 16 but your local authority has responsibilities to make sure you have the support you need until you are at least 21 years old. Financial support is given through local authorities’ grants and payments, and there is emotional support available for young people who are finding it difficult to get used to living independently. How this is managed will depend on your local council, so it may be helpful to get some independent advice from a housing advice charity.

Although help is available to you in independent or semi-independent living, it is still a massive change to get used to. Fear of independence and having to manage mostly on your own could make this new living situation feel a bit scary.

If you do start to feel like it’s all a bit too much, remember that you can reach out for help, and you can get advice and support on all sorts of things – from how to budget for bills and food shops to how to apply for jobs and financially support yourself.