Lack Of Support To Blame For Care Leaver Housing Problems

Children's services departments are not doing enough to secure good quality housing support for care leavers and other vulnerable teenagers, The Children's Society has said.  Research carried out for the charity's On Your Own Now report found half of the 118 providers used by local authorities to house vulnerable 16 to 17-year-olds have evicted or asked a child to move at short notice. Substance misuse, mental health problems, violence and financial problems were the main reasons for eviction arising. But housing providers said children's services departments are failing to ensure the right support from youth workers and safeguarding teams is in place that could prevent problems arising. More than half (55 per cent) of housing providers reported children’s services did not include them in planning support for the young people in their care.  Read more on the Children & Young People Now website.

Half of Homeless Teenagers Turned Away By Councils

Councils are flouting the law by turning away half of the homeless teenagers who ask them for help. In its report on teenage homelessness The Children’s Society found that only half of homeless 16- and 17-year-olds who asked councils for help received an assessment, even though they have a legal obligation to provide this. Based on responses from 259 councils, the charity also found that just one in five 16- and 17-year-olds who presented themselves as homeless were accommodated. Additionally, only one in five councils offers advocacy support to young people who present themselves as homeless. Read more on the Children & Young People Now website.

Soldiers, Nurses and Teachers Hit By Benefit Curbs

Half a million soldiers, nurses and teachers will have their income slashed under the coalition's benefits crackdown, according to a new report. The chancellor's sub-inflation rise in benefits and tax credits over the next three years will hit a whole range of the country's most trusted professionals.  Up to 40,000 soldiers, 300,000 nurses and 150,000 primary and nursery school teachers will lose cash, in some cases many hundreds of pounds, according to the Children's Society. The revelation appears to contradict the government's stated intention to target shirkers and scroungers, and will raise the temperature of the Commons debate and vote on the plan on Tuesday (7 January).  Read more on the Observer website.

Charities Call For Under 25s to Keep Housing Benefit

A letter from 13 charities calling on the government not to cut housing benefit for the under 25s has been published by The Times.  It said the cut would penalise young working adults with low earnings. It stated: ‘It will take away a vital safety net for young adults who lose their job, experience domestic violence, become ill or disabled, or who are themselves bringing up children. We urge the prime minister and the coalition government not to cut housing benefit entitlement for under-25s.’  The letter is signed by heads of charities including homelessness charity Shelter, umbrella group Homeless Link, charity the Children’s Society and the charity for single parents Gingerbread.  Read more on the Shelter website.

Universal Credit Could Exclude 120,000 Families from Free School Meals

The Children's Society has warned the Government that its plans for Universal Credit won't do anything to help the 700,000 families not entitled to free school meals and could see a further 120,000 extra families worse off.  Under Universal Credit the charity said ministers were considering limiting free school meals to households with earnings below a certain level, thought to be around £7,500 a year.  The society said that this could see 120,000 families - 350,000 school-aged children - excluded if they worked longer or earned more.  Instead, it wants the Government to give free school meals to all children in families in receipt of Universal Credit which it estimates would cost about £500 million per year.  Read more on The Children’s Society website.

 

Parents of Disabled Children Could Lose £1,400 in Welfare Shakeup

A hundred thousand disabled children will lose out when a crucial welfare benefit is halved under controversial reforms. Parents can now receive a maximum of £54 a week through tax credits to help with the extra cost of looking after a child with disabilities. But under the welfare reform bill, passed by the Commons last week, that benefit will form part of universal credit and be cut to £27 a week, plunging thousands of families below the poverty line, according to the Children's Society. The government says the money saved will allow it to offer larger sums to children with severe disabilities. However, the Children's Society said some families would lose £1,400 a year. It is claimed this could cost families with a child born with a disability about £22,000 by the time the child reaches 16. The government says it will provide transitional payments to ensure people do not lose out, but the guarantee does not extend to new claimants and will not be protected from inflation. Cash protection will also be lost through as yet undefined changes in a family's circumstances. Read more on the Observer website.