Steven's story
Steven was the eldest child in the family. He was a student, and he lived with his mum and younger siblings in their social home. When Steven's mum moved out of the home for a while, he took on responsibility of caring for his younger siblings and paying the rent.
Steven was struggling with the situation. Because he was a student he was not entitled to benefits to help with rent. The family were at risk of losing their home.
Housing Rights for Young People service took on Steven’s case. We successfully advocated for a Universal Credit claim to be approved on the basis that he was responsible for the other children in the home. We also applied for a Rate Rebate to cover the rates until his mum is able to return back to the family. This meant they could stay in the home, and eased some of the extra responsibility that Steven had to take on at such a young age.