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Money
For the vast amount of young people aged 16 or 17 leaving care, Social Services will be responsible for meeting all such young people's basic financial needs until 18 years of age. This will include your basic living and reasonable housing costs (rent etc). In addition, if you are or have been in care of Manchester Local Authority, Manchester Social Services can sometimes give you extra money. This is not an automatic entitlement but depends on things like how old you are, where you are living, what you are doing, how long you were in care and how much money you have already had. As this is quite complicated the simplest thing to do is ask your Social Worker or Leaving Care Worker (Personal Advisor) about this.
Things you may be entitled to are
First Home Grant towards the cost of helping you set up home eg. for furniture, a cooker, household items etc.
Incentive Payments: extra weekly payments to help and encourage you to stay in education/training/employment.
One Off Payments towards the cost of something special or to help you out in a real emergency.
Birthday and Christmas Allowances until your 18th Birthday.
Help with travel expenses to college or work sometimes depending on what you earn or what your employer or college allows.
Clothing: you will have to pay for most of this yourself from your wages or weekly money. However if you need special clothes for your job eg. overalls, you may be able to get help to pay for them.
Things you need at college or on your training course: help with books, hairdressing materials, special tools etc will come from the Education Department or college/training scheme. If they can't help sometimes Social Services can.
University: though you will need to claim a student loan, Social Services can additionally assist you, beyond the age of 21 if necessary.
Once you are 18 the main responsibility for financial help if you don't have a job or you're not on a training scheme or apprenticeship, lies with the Department of Social Security.
If you are eligible to do so, you will need to claim Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance for your weekly 'keep' and Housing Benefit towards your rent. You will also be expected to apply for a Community Care Grant if you need money for a particular item. Out of your weekly money you will be expected to pay for food, gas/electricity, clothes, all your household and personal needs and any money for going out etc.
Use our Budgeting sheet to help you manage your money.
