Care Leavers and Benefits - Can I Claim Benefits if I am a Care Leaver?

If you are a care leaver aged under 18, even if you would otherwise meet all the qualifying conditions for the benefit, you will not be able to claim:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Housing Benefit (HB England, Scotland and Wales)/(HB Northern Ireland)
• Universal Credit, except in limited circumstances.

No one else (for example, a parent/guardian) can receive any extra money in their benefits for you either.

This is because social services have the responsibility for meeting your needs for maintenance, accommodation and support, and so you are excluded from receiving benefits which cover the same things.

You can still get any other benefits which may apply to you, for example Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Child Disability Payment Scotland, Adult Disability Payment Scotland or Carer’s Allowance, or Carer Support Payment (Scotland).

If you are a care leaver and you are struggling, you should ask for help from social services .

If the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says you are a care leaver and social services says you’re not a care leaver, you should get help from an adviser.

Exceptions

As a care leaver, you can claim Universal Credit if:

• You have limited capability for work or you are waiting for an assessment to see if you have limited capability for work and you have a fit note from your GP saying you are not fit for work; or
• You or your partner are responsible for a child under 16.

You won’t get the housing costs element for your rent.

Move to Universal Credit

It is no longer possible to make new claims for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). However, if you are a care leaver who is already getting ESA, you can continue getting it if you carry on having limited capability for work.

It is no longer possible to make new claims for Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) but if you are already getting them, you can continue receiving them as long as you continue to meet the conditions. 

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is starting to move people off ESA, JSA and Income Support and onto Universal Credit, even if nothing changes. You will get a letter telling you your old benefits are ending and you need to claim Universal Credit. If you've received this letter, read our guide Universal Credit Migration Notice to find out about your next steps. By March 2025, the government wants to have moved everyone over to Universal Credit.