Barrier lifted to care leaver social housing from next month

Today 1 min read Joanne Parkes Social Care

“Unfair barriers” to social housing for care leavers are to be lifted within weeks, the government has confirmed.

Care leavers often lack the support networks that tie them to a local area. Picture: AdobeStock

Currently, many leavers aged under 25 must prove a local link to get housing, leaving them vulnerable to homelessness.

Plans to change the rules, which can include having family or work connections or having lived in an area for as long as 12 months before accessing housing, were first mooted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the Labour Party Conference in September.

Some 89% of councils have a local connection or residency test in place to determine who can qualify for social housing.

The government said the changes recognise the "unique challenges" young care leavers face when transitioning out of care or fleeing an an unsafe home.

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