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INFORMATION | Budgeting and the barriers of poverty; The Care Leavers Experience

 Growing up in "The System", its a statistical fact that children in care will not be provided with the crucial life skills many other children may be taught by their parents either intentionally or passively. These skills can range from budget, personal care to social interactions. Recently, and from the back of the Independent Care Review, Vicky Ford, the minister for Children felt it an appropriate suggestion that Care Leavers struggle to budget money and face issues with debt due to a lack of understanding how to maintain a tenancy, pay bills and budget effectively. The comments raise the important issue of how financially vulnerable many care leavers are, but what is missing is the acknowledgment that it is not possible for people, especially those who are vulnerable, to simply budget themselves out of poverty. It is expected, across all local authorities that care leavers are financially independent much younger that their peers. But yet, care leavers are expected to live on lower rates of Universal Credit. It is undisputed that Universal Credit forces many people into financial instability and a cycle of poverty.






Budgeting is an area where care-leavers need greater assistance and direction, according to some research as indicated below. According to a poll of care-leavers from three Scottish local councils, one-half of those leaving residential care indicated that greater education on budgeting skills would have been beneficial (Dixon & Stein, 2003, p. 11). More recently, an evaluation of the Right2BCared4 pilot, which was run in 11 local authorities in England to improve outcomes for care-leavers, discovered that young people felt less able to adequately manage their finances, pay household bills, and claim welfare entitlements when compared to carrying out other independent living tasks. The reason for this...

When they reach 18, some care leavers will receive lump sums of money, maybe from their caregivers' savings, their Junior ISA, inheritance, or the leaving care award. Care leavers, on the other hand, may lack the ability to spend significant sums of money responsibly if they are not properly supported. It is also very easy to just walk into debt, which is exacerbated by the relative simplicity with which payday loans may be obtained in comparison to bank loans. Even opening a bank account can be difficult for care leavers since most banks need evidence of residency and other identifying documents that not all care leavers have. Again, without any financial education, care leavers may be confused about how bank accounts work.

When care leavers reach the age of 18, unless they are enrolled in education or training, they are expected to earn enough money to support themselves. This will include applying for benefits for many care leavers. The benefits system is complex, and failure to grasp it can result in care leavers not claiming their full rights or failing to fulfil the conditions for some payments. It may also result in the sanctioning of care leavers. Care leavers frequently do not understand why the punishment was imposed. Care leavers may be unaware that they can dispute their punishment if they do not get adequate assistance and information.

Knowing how to apply for a job and having a solid awareness of one's own strengths and shortcomings are all crucial skills for young people to have, but care leavers may lack these. It might be something they weren't taught in school, or something they missed out on due to numerous school or placement transfers. They may not have been educated about employability skills by their caregivers, and they may not have worked part-time while in care. Their personal adviser should be able to assist them, but they may not have the necessary expertise or time if their caseload is heavy. If a young person is called in for an interview, they will need to have decent clothing as well as a means of transport to the interview. While they should be able to access support from their local authority for these things, young people might not know this. Young people may also be applying for jobs that have additional costs, for example protective clothing, tools or even the ability to drive. All these can be barriers to young people finding sustained employment. Poor housing, whether temporary or unsuitable, can have an influence on one's ability to work. Young people may have to relocate around a lot, feeling uncertainty and unsettledness, which makes it difficult to obtain regular and uninterrupted sleep, eat well, and feel safe and secure, all of which are necessary for someone to perform well at work. When a young child has to relocate frequently, they may need to take more time off than planned, making a care leaver appear untrustworthy. Poor physical and mental health can also make it difficult for young people to find and keep jobs.

Overall, whilst there is some truth in the Minister for Childrens' statement, it lacked a deeper understanding of why many care leavers tumble into debt. The core reason for this in many experiences is the lack of financial education and awareness.

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