Youth Homelessness
Avoiding homelessness - information
for young people
This section of the website is
designed to provide advice to young people that are homeless,
threatened with homelessness or thinking about leaving home. Click
on the links below to go to the relevant paragraph.
If you are homeless or think you might become homeless soon it
is not so easy to plan your move and you should seek help as soon
as possible. You can contact any of the
Area Housing Offices or the
Housing Advice Centre . You can also look at homeless information on the Council's website ,
which provides detailed information on your rights and the homeless
process.
Being homeless doesn't necessarily mean sleeping rough. It can
mean sleeping on friend's floors/couches or just being unable to
rely on having a roof over your head every night. Whatever your
individual situation is the Council can offer you advice,
assistance and support. Everyone is entitled to a homeless
interview and you can take a friend or relative along for
support.
In a crisis situation outwith office hours you can
contact the Emergency Homeless Service based at Greyfriars
House, 55 Princess Street, Perth or on a freephone telephone
number: 0800 9170708.
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At 16 you can leave home without your parents' permission, but
it can be really difficult finding a place to stay, and to keep the
place going after you move in.
Many young people who do leave home, even those who are moving
into their own place end up in difficulty and may even become
homeless.
You might be leaving home to go to college, for a job, to get
married or to move in with a partner or friend. You may want to
leave because you feel you need more freedom and things at home
have become crowded or difficult.
Whatever the reason it is important that you think carefully
about whether you are really ready to leave. It is also really
important to get advice about leaving from somebody you trust. If
you don't have a relative or other adult you feel you can speak,
you can call one of the agencies listed on the right hand
side of this page.
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Lots of young people want to leave home because of arguments and
disagreements. After they move away they realise how difficult and
lonely it can be living alone and they wish they had stayed. If you
are finding it difficult at home here are some ideas that might
help:
- Talk to a friend, relative, teacher, counsellor or doctor.
- Call a helpline like Childline on 0800 11 11, Family Mediation Scotland (0845
119 2020) or Stepfamily Scotland (0845 122
8655).
- Ask someone you trust to talk to you and your parents.
- Try and get out of the house more often so you don't have to be
there as much. This might not solve the issue but it will make
things a bit easier and give you more time to think about whether
you really want to move out permanently.
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If you are being abused or hurt by someone in your home you can
seek help and support. Telling someone may be difficult and even
frightening but by speaking up something can be done. It is your
right to live your life free from abuse.
You can talk to Childline on 0800 11 11. They will keep
everything you tell them 100% confidential.
If you are 16 or over and cannot stay at home because you are at
risk and you have nowhere else to go you can present yourself as
homeless to the Council. You should contact the Housing Advice Centre at 10 - 16 York
Place, Perth, Tel: 01738 474500.
In a crisis situation outwith office hours you can contact
the Emergency Homeless Service based at Greyfriars
House, 55 Princess Street, Perth or on a freephone telephone
number: 0800 9170708.
If you are at risk at home you will be entitled to
accommodation. You can ask to be interviewed by someone of your own
sex if you would prefer this. Whatever you discuss with the
Homeless Advice Officer will be kept completely confidential.
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If you are serious about moving out there are lots of things you
should think about first :
- Where will you live?
- Can you afford to move out?
- What bills will you have to pay and how to pay them?
- What money will you have for clothes or going out?
- Why do you want to leave home?
- Who can help you move into a new home?
- Do you know how to pay bills?
- Can you manage with all the household chores?
- Can you manage to do the shopping and cooking?
- Will you get on ok with your neighbours?
- Will you be lonely, isolated or bored living on your own?
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It is very important that you plan things properly before
deciding to leave home. There are lots of different housing options
available to you and it is important that you choose the option
that meets your own needs best.
If you want to find out more about your housing options you can
contact the Housing Advice Centre or one of the Area Housing Offices who will talk to you about
where you want to live, what you can afford, and what type of
accommodation you need.
The staff will give you advice and information and help you
decide which option is best for you. Take time to plan carefully
and only move when you are sure that you are ready.
Here are some of the housing options that you might want to
consider:
Buying a home of your own
The person living in the accommodation is the owner. Buying a
property normally involves a mortgage - a loan from a bank or
building society. You have to prove that you are able to pay back
the loan and you will need to pay some money of your own up front
for a deposit and legal fees - this is likely to be thousands of
pounds. Money then has to be paid back to the bank or building
society on a monthly basis. You are responsible for arranging and
paying for all of the repairs to the property. If you do not keep
up the payments you risk losing your house. Usually when you buy a
property it has no furniture so you will need more money for
this.
Private rented
You rent from a private landlord who could be an individual or a
company. As well as paying the rent regularly you will usually have
to pay a deposit which will be returned to you at the end of the
tenancy unless there is any damage. In a shared flat/ house you
share the accommodation and housing costs with other people which
can help keep the price down. The place is usually furnished. In a
self contained flat/ house you have the property to yourself. The
rent is usually quite high and the property can be furnished or
unfurnished.
Housing association or council housing
The council and housing associations provide rented
accommodation, including bedsits, flats or houses. The
accommodation is usually unfurnished. You have to apply for housing
and it is allocated according to your housing need. Housing
vacancies are limited, and are only likely to be offered to those
in greatest need.
Temporary accommodation
This is accommodation for people to stay in a crisis situation.
To stay here you will usually have been assessed by the Council as
homeless. The length of stay will usually depend on your homeless
status. The accommodation might be a hostel or a furnished
flat.
Bed and Breakfast
This is another form of temporary accommodation and is only
offered when there is no other form of temporary or emergency
accommodation available. This type of accommodation is expensive
and not considered to be very suitable. If you are placed in
B&B the Council will try to move you out to more suitable
housing as quickly as possible.
Student halls of residence
Halls of residence house large numbers of people, usually in
single rooms with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. Rooms are
only rented to people studying at the particular college or
university. Rent is only charged during term times and students are
expected to move out during holidays.
Tied accommodation
This is accommodation that comes with a job: e.g. for farm
workers, army personnel, nurses, clergy or members of the police
force. Leaving the job will usually mean leaving the accommodation
too.
Supported accommodation
This is a place where there are people who can provide support
to help you cope with living independently. The support workers may
be available all of the time or visit regularly. Often this kind of
accommodation comes in the form of a shared house or flat, or a
self contained place close to others in a similar situation.
To find out more about the different housing options that are
available to you have a look at http://www.pkc.gov.uk/housingoptions .
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One of the biggest worries and difficulties for a young person
leaving home is how to afford everything. There is a lot to pay for
so it's important that you learn how to budget. This can be really
hard particularly if you have a low income. Your income each month
may come from the following sources:
Working
If you work you will receive a weekly or monthly wage. This will
be taxed before it is paid to you. What you receive is called your
net income.
Studying
If you go to college or university you will usually have your
tuition fees paid by the Government. To help with your rent and
living costs you can apply for a grant, you may also be eligible
for a student loan which you will need to pay back.
Benefits
Jobseeker's Allowance
Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) is a benefit open to most people
over the age of 18 who are unemployed, not in education and looking
for work. You could also be eligible if you have a job where you
work less than 16 hours every week.
If you're under 18, or if you're a student, it's unlikely you
will be entitled to the allowance unless in exceptional
circumstances. For example, estrangement from your family leading
to severe hardship. If you think that you might have exceptional
circumstances, contact your nearest Jobcentre Plus office.
Income Support
If you're over 16 and unable to work because you're a lone
parent, a parent who has to stay home and look after your children,
registered as a disabled person, or you're responsible for the care
of a relative who is disabled you may be eligible for Income
Support.
If you're a university student, on a training course or in full
time education, you'll only be able to qualify under special
circumstances. In this instance, any part-time work you take on may
mean you lose your entitlement to Income Support.
If you're getting Education Maintenance Allowance, this will not
affect your Income Support claim.
Housing Benefit
You can claim Housing Benefit to help pay for your rent if your
income and savings are below a certain level. If you're single and
aged under 25 you can only get Housing Benefit for bed-sit
accommodation or a room in shared accommodation. You cannot get
Housing Benefit if you're living with your parents or other close
relatives and paying rent to them.
You won't usually be able to claim if you're a full-time student
unless you're disabled or have children, but it's still worth
checking.
Working Tax Credit
Working Tax Credit is a weekly payment to help towards your
living costs. It's mainly available for people who are over 25, but
if you're aged 16 or over and have children or a disability that
affects your ability to work or look for work, you may also be able
to claim it.
Young parents
Remember that if you're under 20, you can also get financial
help with your childcare if you're in college, at school or taking
part in a work-based learning programme from the Care to Learn scheme . You can also apply for
Child Benefit, although this may affect the amount of other
benefits you can get.
Employment and Support Allowance
If you're over 16 and have an illness or disability which
affects your ability to work, you may be able to apply for
Employment and Support Allowance.
You're usually only able to claim this if you've paid enough
National Insurance contributions during your working life.
However, you may still receive it if you're under 25 and satisfy
certain conditions.
Disability Living Allowance
You may be able to claim Disability Living Allowance for
yourself or on behalf of a disabled child if you're responsible for
their care. The award looks at two things: level of mobility and
the amount of care needed.
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What bills will I have to pay for?
It is really important that you work out how much money you need
to live on and how you are going to get it before you move. Here is
a list of the things you might have to pay for:
- Rent
- Council tax
- Electricity and gas
- Phone/ mobile
- Insurance
- TV license
- Transport/ bus fares
- Cleaning materials
- Food
- Toiletries
- Clothes/ shoes
- Social life
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Before you move into your own place you need to think about the
following things:
Tenancy Agreement
If you accept a house or a flat to rent you will be required to
sign a tenancy agreement. This will detail what your rights and
responsibilities are as a tenant such as paying rent, keeping the
place clean and not causing a nuisance to your neighbours.
It is important that you read the tenancy agreement
carefully before you sign it. If you don't understand anything
it is important that you ask.
Furniture
If your new place is unfurnished you need to think about the
essential items of furniture that you will need to begin with.
Check with family and friends to see if they have anything they can
give you and try to look for bargains and second hand items. You
could also apply for a Community Care grant or crisis loan to get you
started, this must be paid back.
The Social Fund
You may be able to get financial help for some unexpected
payments if you're already claiming Income Support, Jobseeker's
Allowance and some other benefits. These include:
- budgeting loans
- crisis loans
How to Apply?
You should contact your Jobcentre Plus office about making an
application. You may be able to make your application by telephone.
If you are offered a loan, the letter will tell you the amount of
money you will get and the rate at which you will repay it. You
will be asked to sign this letter, showing that you understand the
repayment terms and that you have to repay the loan.
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