The call has been made by Barnardo’s, which says care leavers’ opportunities to find work and meet friends to combat isolation are being curtailed by expensive bus travel.
It points out that older and disabled people already travel for free through the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme, which the charity wants to see extended to care leavers aged 18 to 25.
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Care experienced children are three times less likely to be in education, employment or training than their peers of a similar age.
A fifth say they feel lonely always or often, added the charity.
A factor in the lack of affordability of bus travel is that young care leavers are only eligible for the under-25s universal credit. The average £18 cost of a weekly bus ticket accounts for a third of their benefits.
“When you are seeking to find your way in life, it can be really frustrating to have your horizons and independence limited by a lack of mobility,” said Barnardo’s chief executive Lynn Perry.
“Extending free bus travel to care leavers is a simple thing the government can do as part of its ‘levelling up’ agenda and would make a big difference to young people who have had a tough start in life and need a bit of extra help.”
She points out that Greater Manchester has already introduced a similar scheme, offering free bus travel to care leavers up to 21.
The call has been backed by 18-year-old care leaver Samuel from Plymouth.
“Having a free bus pass would take a lot of stress off of your shoulders,” he said.
“You could just walk on and tap. The challenge of trying to work out how you are going to walk from a to b can also be stressful. It’s the physical as well as financial stress.”
Meanwhile, in Wales 18-year-old care leavers are to be offered a basic income of more than £19,000 a year though a £20m pilot scheme. The Welsh government initiative will offer the grant to 500 young people leaving care.
