A policy briefing about the new exemption from the Shared Accommodation Rate for care leavers, which means that groups of young people who are in receipt of either Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit will be eligible to claim the self-contained, one-bed rate of the Local Housing Allowance within Universal Credit, instead of the Shared Accommodation Rate.
Despite the support from the government with the Energy Price Guarantee and Cost of Living Support schemes, the increase in the cost of living has dramatically worsened the conditions of the most vulnerable households, with inflation often named ‘the most regressive tax of all’.
The formal housing eligibility and entitlement frameworks are not considered under the SWEP. Any person rough sleeping and in dire need of a safe and warm place, who cannot afford to live indoors (except cars, sheds, barns, garages, etc.) is protected under the SWEP.
Making work pay for vulnerable young people. The recent focus on the cost of living crisis is nothing new for young people with experiences of homelessness. While inflationary pressures have undoubtedly increased costs and made it harder to maintain living standards, existing issues inherent within the nation’s social security regime and housing market have meant that vulnerable young people have long been at a disadvantage.
Through this research we wanted to provide an economic justification for the money spent on supporting homeless young people and show the enormous benefits that can be generated.
This report presents an analysis of data collected by local authorities during the financial year 2022/2023, and examines the development of the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 (HRA) in its fifth year. It also updates the previous year’s findings, including Centrepoint’s estimate of the national scale of youth homelessness.
This report explores homeless young people’s access to social and private rented accommodation using the following methods: a survey of front-line staff working for 30 organisations supporting over 800 young people across England; interviews with homeless young people and local authority staff; a comparison between social housing allocations and main housing duty rates (2021-22 & 2022-23) to show how local authorities are meeting homeless young people’s need for social housing; and an analysis of LHA rates.
This research examines how Government legislation is being, and may be, used to criminalise young people who are rough sleeping. In doing this, we examine Freedom of Information Request data delineating how the Vagrancy Act has affected young people and explore interview and survey data highlighting the extent to which young people are criminalised by measures such as Public Space Protection Orders. Through this lens, we then analyse the potential impact of the Criminal Justice Bill on young people experiencing homelessness.
A vote to end youth homelessness - Centrepoint manifesto for the next General Election
Young people experiencing homelessness face unique barriers to employment including issues with the benefits system and a lack of local jobs. These barriers can mean that homeless young people are often unable to access employment, resulting in diminished self-confidence and limited resilience.
