Care leavers could get free prescriptions and bus fares as top ministers hold meeting

Young people who have been in care could get free prescriptions and bus fares as ministers look to increase support for the vulnerable group.

An uplift in Universal Credit so that young adults get the same amount as those over 25 as well as having their passport fees waived are among other proposals that have been discussed by ministers. The changes were raised at the Care Leavers Ministerial Board, which is jointly chaired by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and met for the first time at the start of November.

Care leavers told heartwrenching stories to top government ministers including being left homeless after turning 18 years old and having their support suddenly cut off. One woman told her story about ending up homeless and jobless after she turned 18. She was eventually left with no choice but to live with her abusive partner.

The cross-government group is exploring potential policies to improve care leaver outcomes and experiences. Other ministers who attended the meeting include business minister Sarah Jones, safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, children’s minister Janet Daby and health minister Andrew Gwynne. Veterans minister Alistair Carns and transport minister Simon Lightwood also attended.

It comes after Labour announced it would overhaul the children’s care system on Monday. Ms Phillipson set out a major crackdown on neglect and excess profits in the sector and warned private providers that a new law will limit the profit they can make if they do not voluntarily put an end to profiteering.

Almost 84,000 children are in local authority care, according to the latest official data. Children’s charity Become has said thousands of teens face a "care cliff" when they turn 18 and important support is cut off.

Care leavers are nine times more likely to face homelessness than other young people, grim research by the charity found in October. The number of young care leavers facing homelessness has increased by 54% in the last five years, government statistics show. And some 39% of care leavers aged 19 to 21 are not in education, employment or training, compared to 13% of their peers in the general population.

Many care leavers told Become about not only having trouble accessing suitable accommodation but also in trying to manage bills or applying for benefits, sometimes in the middle of exams, without any adult guidance. Proposals such as free bus fares would help care leavers who, for instance, face barriers to employment because they can’t afford to travel to a job interview.

On Monday the Department for Education (DfE) published its Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive plans, which acknowledged that young people often stay at home until their late twenties and get support from parents when they move out. Ministers intend to legislate to ensure care leavers have access to ‘Staying Close support’, which includes practical and emotional help from someone a care leaver knows during their transition to independent living.

A DfE spokeswoman told the Mirror: “We’re determined to make sure every young person leaving care has the opportunities they need to thrive. Our Care Leavers Ministerial Board brings together ministers from across government to secure positive changes that give care leavers the best possible life chances. Our wider reforms to the children’s social care system will also require all local authorities to support care leavers to access accommodation, as well as practical and emotional help through the ‘Staying Close’ programme.”