Independent living

This means having your own house or flat and living on your own. You can do this privately, when you pay someone to live in a house they own, or through the council, where you pay the council to live in a home. Renting privately can be more expensive,  and if you’re going to use housing benefit to pay for this, it might not cover the full amount and make it unaffordable. Council housing tends to be more affordable, but it can take longer to wait for a home to become available, which is why we would want you to be on the housing list as soon as you can be if this is your plan. In certain circumstances, you may get priority as a care leaver but the housing list is very long and we will need to plan around that!

This list isn’t absolutely everything that can be offered and there are situations in which extra options can be explored depending on your circumstances. Its always best to speak to your LCSO or social worker and they will help you think about what might be right for you.