Our complete Local Offer for care leavers

We recognise the importance of having the correct identification documents. You will be financially supported, aged between 18 to 21 years old, to acquire the following key documents:

• Birth Certificate.
• Passport Application or one renewal (includes photo).
• Provisional Driving Licence.

If you change your name or your gender

We will support you to get replacement documents that represent your needs.

If you are a ‘former relevant’ care leaver you will be entitled to access a Setting up Home Allowance (SHA); however, you will need to remain in contact with the Pathways Leaving Care Service.

You will receive the following allowance:

• Access to a £2000 grant if you had access to your SHA grant before 1st April 2023.
• Access to £3,000 grant when you access the SHA grant for the first time from 1st April 2023 onwards.

If you move to new accommodation or lose some of your items purchased from your setting up home allowance due to no fault of your own, you can speak to your Pathways Adviser. They can submit an application to the Finance panel for additional funds. This will be looked at on an individual basis and you are not guaranteed to be given additional funds.

When you move into your own accommodation the service recognise that this can be a crucial step to independence. To support you we will:

• Support you with removal costs into your new accommodation if you have items that need to be transported to your new accommodation.
• Help you access your SHA Grant – we will always insist on purchasing the main items that make your home safe and suitable.
• Purchase a TV Licence from your Setting up Home Allowance.
• We will refer you to YPASS housing support service or relevant service if you live outside the Calderdale area. They will help you set up key bills such as electricity, gas, water and council tax and help you maintain your tenancy.
• Rent Advance payment will be made to you secure your first property. This is normally the first two weeks rent and supports you to secure the tenancy.

Deposit & Rent in Advance payment will be available if you have been waiting for social housing for a long time (6 months +). Your Pathway Adviser will support you to make an application to Housing support fund so you can get help with the first month’s rent and a deposit for a private rental property (utilising the homeless prevention fund or a discretionary housing payment). If this is not agreed, your Pathway Adviser will make an application to the Pathways finance panel. The rent deposit and first month’s rent should be a maximum of £650 each.

When you reach 18 years of age, you are entitled to claim Universal Credit if you are unemployed, in further education or Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET). Your allocated Pathways Adviser or placement provider will provide a benefit gap payment (equivalent of living allowance) up to four weeks until you are in receipt of your first Universal Credit payment.

You are entitled to the following payments:

• Benefit Gap Payment of £67.20 for 4 weeks when living in your own tenancy/ semi-supported placement/ staying put when you are responsible for your own bills.
• Benefit Gap Payment of £35.00 when in
• If you are Living with Parents, then you are not entitled to this payment

Education Top Up 18-19

If you are undertaking a programme of full-time education or training (minimum of 12 hours direct contact time) then you will be entitled to the following:

• 16-19 Education Bursary - £1,200 per year. You will receive £30 per week for 40 weeks (academic year) directly from your education/training provider.
• If you are not entitled to the education bursary (due to your age or immigration status) the Pathways Service will provide an education top-up. You will receive £30.00 per week for 40 weeks (academic year).

*If you study part-time this will be paid at reduced rate of £15 per week.

Tenancy Top Up – if you have a property of your own and have your own tenancy and in further education or an apprenticeship then you will be entitled to a £10 weekly tenancy top up payment.

Apprenticeship Top Up

If you are on an apprenticeship/traineeship:

• You will be entitled to receive £20 top up (dependant on apprenticeship/traineeship income).
• If you are also living independently, you will get an extra £10 tenancy top up.

Tenancy Top Up 18-25

If you are 18-25 and in full or part-time further or higher education and living independently you will receive:

• £10 Tenancy Top-up.

If the course requires you to have a laptop we will contribute up to £250 towards the purchase price once you have established regular attendance for three months.

If you have a job interview, you will be entitled to support with interview clothes from DWP.

If DWP support is not available, then based on an assessment of need, you can get £75 for interview clothes and shoes.

Degree or equivalent level course bursary

Higher Education Bursary payments– higher education is where you are at university or college studying a higher education degree (level 4 or above).

You will receive:

• A payment of £200 when you start your course, which you will get before the first term starts. Then a further payment of £200 at the end of the autumn, spring and summer terms (£800 per year for 3 years = £2400).
• You must evidence 85% attendance for the term with all outstanding work completed before payment is authorised.

Accommodation: The Higher Education Term Time & Vacation Grant is payable:

• If you reside in university halls of residence (first year) then the grant will be set at this rate.
• If you opt to stay in private university halls of residence, then you will only receive the same rate as the university halls of residence.
• If you opt to not to stay in halls of residence for the first year, second and subsequent year, the rate of accommodation grant will be set at the single room rate local housing allowance (LHA) for the area where you reside.

Travel Allowance: you are entitled to support to get to their university accommodation at the start of the academic year; provide support to return to vacation accommodation. You just need to speak to your allocated Pathways Adviser to get advice about this payment. The allowance will be provided at the following points:

• Start of the academic year /travel to university
• Christmas vacation (return trip)
• Easter vacation (return trip)
• Summer vacation (single trip)

Festival Allowance aged 18-21

Christmas/Festival Payments are available to all care leavers up to the age of 21. However, you will only be paid if you stay in contact with us (or a relevant support service) and you are actively engaged in the pathway planning process.

This will be paid directly to you:

• Aged 19: £150.
• Aged 20: £100.
• Aged 21 £50.

Birthday allowance for young people aged 19 to 21 years

This is available to all care leavers up to the age of 21 and will be paid directly to you:

• Aged 19: £150.
• Aged 20: £100.
• Aged 21 £50.

Pregnancy and support for you and your child

You can access parenting grant when you are parent/carer/guardian of a child.

You will be entitled to the following support:

• £200 grant to purchase furniture, carpets etc to prepare a room for the birth of your baby.
• Your Pathway Adviser will also support you to apply for a ‘maternity grant’ so you can purchase items such as cot/pram and other baby items.
• Your Pathway Adviser will provide you with a small gift to celebrate the arrival of your child.
• If you are a parent and would like to return to some form of further education. For example, you may want to consider a distance learning course, then your Pathway Adviser can make an application to the finance panel to request funding for an education courses if you are not eligible for student finance.

We can support you to pass your driving test and you can get:

• One provisional driving licence (see Key Documents).
• One theory test.
• One practical test.
• Cost of ten one-hour car driving lessons.

Driving lesson costs are conditional.

• You must evidence the funds to book 10 lessons or have evidence that you have already paid for 10 lessons. Then the service will fund 10 lessons to the value of £350.
• If you wish to book an intensive driving course and you can provide evidence of the funds to cover the remainder of the costs, you will be entitled a lump sum of £350 to be paid to the approved driving instructor.

You are entitled to receive support when experiencing hardship. This is broken down as follows:

• Food: £15.
• Gas/Electric: £20.
• Travel: Issue bus or train ticket.
• £60 utility allowance can be provided, this will be paid in instalments of £20 between December and March.

The service also has the facility of Exceptional Needs payments which are for circumstances approved by the Care Leavers Finance Panel. If the request is urgent the Team Manager can authorise up to £100.

UASC

If you are awaiting an asylum decision and have no recourse to public funds you will be provided with a Living Allowance. You will get:

• £67.20 per week, if in EET.
• £47.20 per week if a funded placement such as semi-supported accommodation where you do not have to pay bills.

Translation/Interpreting Costs: If you need support in making asylum applications, we provide funds or a service for translators/interpreter costs.

Council Tax: If you reach your 18th birthday and have no recourse to public funds, council tax bills will be met by Pathways Service.

Travel document: If you are required to travel outside of the UK then Pathways will provide funds up to £280 for a certificate of travel.

ARK Card: If you need a replacement ARK card then the Pathways Service will support you to purchase one.

Young People in custody

If you are in custody, in exceptional circumstances where education, training or work opportunities are not available or appropriate and no pocket money or remuneration scheme exists, young people can be provided with a £20 per month allowance.

Leisure

Health and Fitness: You can access a free CMBC Leisure Pass entitling you to free access to swimming pools, gyms and fitness facilities in the Calderdale area.

Participation and Enrichment

Help with Service Development or staying connected with other care leavers.

• You will receive expenses (bus ticket/ train tickets) to support you to attend events with the Pathways Service.
• There will be payment if you take part in consultation exercises. These will in the form of gift vouchers

We commit to help and support care leavers who stay open (or return for support) post 21. We will offer advice, guidance and support where it is needed, but the financial support offer is not applicable.

We maintain a commitment to maximise their potential through education and training opportunities. Financial support will only be considered for costs associated with education, training and employment.

If you are aged over 21 and wish to resume or commence education or training/apprenticeship you may be entitled to support through Universal Credit. Where this is not the case, funding through Pathways will be considered based on a needs assessment.