Advice if you might become homeless

Leaving home or care, evicted, leaving hospital, leaving the armed forces, leaving prison, homeless due to relationship breakdown, homeless and elderly, homeless with a mental illness.

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Leaving care and becoming homeless

If you are a care leaver and do not have a home, you may be able to get housing and other support from us. The help you receive mainly depends on your age. 

You will be able to get help if:

  • you have spent at least a total of 13 weeks in care since the age of 14
  • part of that time in care was while you were 16 or 17

You have different rights if you spent less than a total of 13 weeks in care, or you want to leave care before you are 16.

You are automatically classed as being in priority need until you turn 21 if:

  • you are aged between 18 and 21
  • you spent at least one night in care when you were 16 or 17

You may be entitled to emergency housing from us if you are in priority need. This will normally be supported housing, as we consider this to be the most appropriate accommodation for young people.

Shelter offers a summary of the social services support that care leavers are entitled to.

Personal adviser

Before you leave care, you will be given a pathway plan. This sets out what support you might need to live independently.

You will be given the details of a personal adviser, to help you access the services and benefits you are entitled to. They can help you with application forms for housing, benefits and education/training courses. They should also help you with learning life skills, like how to budget.

Your personal adviser should provide ongoing support until you turn 25.

Seek advice if you do not have a personal adviser. You may be able to get one even if you did not get one while you were still in care. For advice and support, you can find useful contacts for care leavers on Surrey County Council.

Suitable accommodation

Any accommodation offered to you should be suitable for you. You may get:

  • a place in a hostel
  • a self-contained flat
  • a placement in supported or shared housing

It is unlikely, but in some cases, you could be offered a place in a children’s home or foster care.

Ask your personal adviser to help you if you have problems in your accommodation.

Personal housing plan

We will provide housing assistance to all care leavers in the form of a personal housing plan. Personal advisers will also assist and support care leavers until they turn 25. Some older care leavers can receive accommodation from us if they are in priority need, for example:

  • you are considered to be vulnerable as a result of having been in care
  • you have not had a settled home since you left care
  • you have slept on the streets in the past

You should continue to receive help and advice from Surrey County Council Children’s Services until you turn 25, including assistance with education and training.