Former Relevant and Qualifying young people and financial support.

At 18, if you are unable to financially support yourself, you will need to go and sign on at your local benefit office and apply for IS (income support) or JSA (job seekers allowance). If while you are waiting for your claim to be processed you do not have access to other forms of funding, the 16+ team will be able to assist you with an emergency payment. This is usually the equivalent of the current JSA amount.

Emergency payments will not be made to young people who choose not to sign on or consistently fail to sign on and lose access to benefits.

If you move into a new accommodation, once you have put in a claim for housing benefit, the 16+ team might also be able to assist with the cost of the rent until the claim is processed. However, there has to be an agreement that the accommodation is suitable and alsois included in your Pathway Plan. 

In both cases you must provide proof that you have made a claim for your Housing Benefit & JSA or IS.