People with social care needs
This page covers the whole of the UK
Contents:
Are you someone with social care needs?
If you are homeless and destitute and:
- have children in your family or household, or
- are disabled, elderly or suffering from long-term serious illness, or
- need care and attention for some other reason, or
- in some circumstances, are a young person who was once in the care of the social services authority, or
- you are a child with no parents able or willing to accommodate you, including if you are undocumented,
then even if you are not entitled to council housing or benefits (as explained on other pages), you may be able to get limited help with housing and financial support from social services. The law on this is complex and you should seek legal advice before making an application if you can.
In Great Britian, social services are provided by your local council social services or social work department and in two-tier council areas in England this means the county council. In Northern Ireland, social services are provided by your local Health and Social Care (HSC) trust.
What documents might you be asked for?
If you ask social services for help with housing or financial support, they will check why you cannot get help from the housing department or from state benefits, which means checking your immigration status. They will often check this with the Home Office. They may also check where else you have lived, to decide which social services department is responsible for your care.
Social services help
You will only get help from social services if you are responsible for a child, are a young person who was in care as a child or you are a vulnerable adult who has care needs (for example a disability or due to mental health issues). The help may be basic accommodation, food vouchers or money.
If you are an adult, you cannot get help from social services if you are excluded from benefits (or would be if you claimed) and your care needs have arisen solely because you are destitute. But you can get help if you are destitute and you have access to public funds. For example, you could get help if you are British or have settled status but have been refused housing or benefits because you have recently returned to the UK or because you have EU pre-settled status as the sole carer of a British child.
If you are an asylum seeker with children, you will not get housing or living costs from social services because the Home Office should house and support you, if you are destitute.
If you are an asylum seeker who has social care needs, you can ask social services to house you.
But even then, if you:
- have refugee status in another European country and not the UK, or
- are a refused asylum seeker who has not cooperated with removal directions, or
- are an illegal entrant or an overstayer or if you have broken the immigration laws,
then the social services department does not have to provide you with any help at all except the minimum necessary to avoid a breach of human rights. In some cases, this might be simply offering you the fare home.
If it is impossible for you to go home because of one or more of the following:
- you cannot travel because you are ill or disabled, or
- your children have been in the UK so long it is unfair to make them leave, or
- you have close family members in the UK who cannot travel home with you, or
- you would not be safe if you went home,
then you can apply to stay in the UK. While you make the application you may be able to get housing and living costs from social services, although once the application is being considered by the Home Office you may be able to get asylum support from the Home Office instead. Get advice about this if possible before you go to social services.
Other housing help
In Great Britian, if you have social care needs you can apply for accommodation directly
from a housing association but may face problems if you cannot show how you would pay the rent.
You can also apply for accommodation from a private
landlord - but in England you can expect checks on your immigration documentation to be
made by the landlord.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you have the right to free
advice and information from your local council or the Housing Executive to help you if are homeless or
threatened with homelessness within 56 days, or in Northern Ireland 28 days. In England, in two-tier
council areas this service is provided by the district or borough council.
There are some small charitable projects that offer food and shelter to destitute people. Contact one of the advice agencies to see if one may be able to help you. There is more detailed advice on the page for destitute migrants.
