Your help and support offer
Section 10 - Your money
This section will provide you with information on what financial assistance is available to you. The amount of money you get depends on your age and where you live. Being able to manage your money is important when moving to independence. If you don’t know how to budget and spend your money wisely, then you may struggle when you live on your own. Your PA will help you with this.
If you do not have capacity to manage your money, we will support you to identify who should look after it for you and support you to make the decisions you can. We will only do this once we have done a specialist assessment called a mental capacity assessment.
Welfare benefits and other additional benefits
We will help you to apply for welfare benefits that you are entitled to. This is constantly changing and so the best place to look for the latest information is www.gov.uk We will need your help to help us to support you to make your claim for benefits. You really need to attend all your appointments at the Jobcentre and engage with your Work Coach. If you don’t, it is likely to lead to problems with your claim and benefits not being paid. If this happens, we will support you to do what you need to get your benefits and consider practical assistance, such as shopping vouchers, to assist you.
As of January 2023, Claims for Universal Credit can be started one month before your 18th birthday. Universal credit is a single monthly payment for those in or out of work. There are two parts to it – a payment to you for your living expenses and a payment to help you pay your rent. The rent part must be paid to your landlord.
If you are entitled to additional benefits because you have a disability, the Birmingham Disability Resource Centre is a really helpful source of advice about claiming disability benefits and can support you with the process.
If you are unable to claim benefits (not legally entitled to claim benefits) then we will offer you a weekly living allowance. This payment will be the equivalent to state benefits. You will be expected to use this for your living costs in the same way you would your benefits. Ideally, these payments will be made directly into your bank account. If needed, we can pay cash or in vouchers while we help you to get your bank account sorted.
Your savings account
If you have been in care for a long period of time you will have a savings account. You can access this once you turn 18yrs. You can find out more about the savings scheme on the ShareFound website.
Leaving Care Grant (updated March 2024)
You are entitled to a Leaving Care Grant (also called Independent Living Grant). This is a grant to help you to set up your first home.
You will have a discussion with your Social Worker or Personal Adviser so as to plan and ensure you spend the grant wisely.
It is used to buy essential items, in line with your needs, including the following (these are examples):
- White goods (Fridge, Cooker, Washing Machine) – all these need to be new items
- Carpets/floor covering
- Kitchen equipment and appliances, pots and pans/crockery
- Microwave oven
- Cleaning equipment and vacuum
- Bed/mattress, wardrobe, storage furniture
- Sofa, chair and table, storage furniture
- Towels and bedding
- TV and your first TV licence.
It’s important we check items are of good quality and come with guarantees; we can go shopping with you or order online.
- As of 10 February 2023 we put up the grant to £3,000.00 for young people turning 18 from that date.
- The grant was £2,000.00 in previous years and if you left care and/or turned 18 before 10 February 2023, you will only have the lower amount of £2000.
Council Tax exemption
You are entitled to council tax exemption. Please see the Section 7 ‘Where you live’ for more information.
18th birthday allowance
You are entitled to a birthday allowance of £100 on your 18th birthday.
Bursaries when in higher education
If you are in higher education, you are entitled to bursaries. You are entitled to a maximum of £2000 paid over three years of study, paid in three instalments, one for each academic year. We would expect most students in higher education to pay for their own travel between home and their place of study.
There is lots of additional financial support for your education, training or employment. Please see 'Section 9 - Education, training and employment' for more information.
Financial incentive if in custody/released from custody
If you are a former relevant care leaver in custody who is engaging in positive activities whilst in prison (e.g., training/education) we will offer a financial incentive of £10 per week for those 18yrs up to 25 yrs.
If you are a former relevant care leaver released from custody before your 25th birthday, then on release you will receive:
- One month’s bus pass to help you attend all appointments and see friends
- £100 Clothing Allowance
- A smartphone with a pay as you go sim card with the first two months being paid for
There is a wide range of other financial support available.
MYBnk
We can also offer support through our partnership with ‘MYBnk’ – This is a service provided independently of the Trust.
- Based in Birmingham, MyBnk have Money Works and The Money House programmes for young people across the Midlands.
- For more information, please contact sally.mclachlan@mybnk.org or use the following email address to refer yourself for support tmhmidlands@mybnk.org
- MyBnk are based in Digbeth and so you can also pop in.
- Address: The Money House. 201-206 Alcester Street (Warwick Street entrance), Digbeth, Birmingham, B12 0NQ
Ask Jan from the Rees Foundation
Some young people will be entitled for help from ‘Ask Jan’ Membership – Rees Foundation – ‘Helping Care Experienced People Thrive’. Anyone completing the Next Steps Independent Programme through Birmingham Children's Trust will automatically get signed up for free.
The ‘Ask Jan’ membership will offer the following services:
- A 24-hour counselling helpline with access to a BACP accredited counsellor
- Up to eight face-to-face counselling sessions where assessed and agreed by the counsellor
- Personal finance advice – mortgages, pensions, insurance, debt, and savings
- Nutrition, exercise, stress and wellbeing advice
- Specialist advice helplines including housing, legal and citizens advice 8am to 8pm
- Access to an enhanced wellbeing App My Possible Self
- Cognitive behavioural therapy – available online or via the App
- Discounts and special offers on days out and activities with The Max Card
- Access to all other Rees Foundation projects
GO TO ASK JAN MEMBERSHIP WEBSITE
The Eve Brook Scholarship Fund
This is a local charity that works in partnership with the 18+ Care Leavers Service to provide financial bursaries and support to care leavers at university and recently has, for example, been supporting care leavers taking postgraduate degrees.
Capstone Trust
They provide individual grants for care experienced young people and adults. Individual grants are most likely to be for amounts between £300 and £2,000, but they will consider awards of up to £3000, specifically in relation to higher education fees or training courses that are not funded by Student Finance England, the Local Authority or Trust, or where all other educational grant, bursary or subsidy entitlements have been exhausted and dependent upon your individual circumstances. This could also include tools or equipment that are essential for the course. They may also be able to help with the costs of starting a new job or paying for uniforms or work clothes that are not paid for by the employer but essential to the job. Capstone offer driving grants too. Please see guidelines on their website.
GO TO CAPSTONE WEBSITE
Bfriends Charity
The Trust also has its own charity Bfriends that may be able to offer you help and support.
Exceptional circumstances
We understand that everyone has their own individual and exceptional circumstances. We will always consider financial support for the these.