Young People Leaving Care

• Local authority care leavers.
• 16 and 17 year old vulnerable children in need.

• Developed financial procedures to ensure all care leavers receive their full entitlement to benefits and income from the local authority as outlined in the Children Leaving Care Act.
• All service users receive a benefit check when they are referred to the Young Peoples Service at 16. Welfare Rights continue their involvement with the young people until their case is closed at 21 (or 25 if in full-time education). Those young people who are entitled to benefit at 16 or 17 are assisted through the claims process. As a result the local authority makes a saving, as they no longer need to make payments of income maintenance.
• The introduction of the procedures means that all care leavers are treated equally and will receive the same amount on income from the local authority. Prior to their introduction this often depended on the social worker and the situation arose where two care leavers with the same circumstance received different amounts.
• Welfare Rights Officers attend review meetings and planning meetings to ensure that benefits are claimed at the appropriate time ensuring that the young person is not left without financial support.
• More recently Welfare Rights have been working with vulnerable children in need aged 16 and 17 who are at risk of becoming homeless. These cases are dealt with via Durham County Council Joint Protocol procedures. Welfare Rights ensure that the family are accessing all benefits they are entitled to. In some cases this has meant that the young person has been able to stay in the family home. Where a young person is unable to stay in the family home the Welfare Rights Officer will assist the young people to access benefits etc.
• 340 cases are currently open to the Welfare Rights Officers in the Young Peoples Service.  From April 2008 – November 2008 young people have been assisted to claim £88,384.

Lessons Learned