When a young person reaches the age of 16 they move into transition to independence. This period of time can be very exciting and if the young person has a robust Care Plan then transition can be smooth.
As part of the planning process it is worth investigating the different sources of funding that are available from your local authority. We have described a few below, which will help you get started.
Direct Payments
Most local authorities now have a provision called direct payments. Instead of allocating services to for the young person they, or their family, are given funding directly. This allows them to choose the services that they want to use and gives them much more control over their future.
Personal Budgets
In some areas the local authorities are issuing personal budgets. These are the same as direct payments but the young person, or family, have much more control of their social care budgets. Personal budgets can be used in many ways to help you with your overall Care Plan.
Benefits
As soon as a young person turns 16 they can start to claim benefits. It can sometimes be a bit confusing to find out which benefits are available but it is worth looking into this. In some cases families that continue to care for their son or daughter can also claim allowances.
The Independent Living Fund (ILF)
The ILF has been set up to support people to live independently so they don’t have to remain in residential care. In order to be eligible for this funding you need to be receiving a certain level of funding from social services already. Plus any applications submitted must be done jointly with social services.
There will be other funding sources available as well. It’s best to contact your local authority or speak to your social worker to make sure that you know about them all.
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