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Turning 25

Turning 25

Your early 20’s can be a big change with 25 being the maximum age that you can officially receive support from your local authority and personal advisor.

We hear from young care experienced people about the prospect of losing support, and what their worries and concerns are, as well as people who have already lost their support – either at 25 or often at a younger age, and hear how they managed and what advice they have for others.

Being care experienced does not just stop at 25, so why should the support stop at 25?

— Read Kim’s story

It was financially very difficult and without the traditional family setting to get help from “mum and dad”
— Read Jamie’s story

Jamie’s story

“It was financially very difficult and without the traditional family setting to get help from “mum and dad””

At 25 years old I had been through university, started a family and had started my career in management. As the first of my friends to have a child, I was always trying to balance being the father of a household whilst still being young and learning for myself. At 21 I was juggling a full-time university degree, a management job and having a new born son. It was financially very difficult and without the traditional family setting to get help from “mum and dad” I was forced to work even harder to provide for myself which meant working overtime and setting up my own little business projects. By 25 I felt more financially stable but would very much have benefited from a support network around me to guide me through the many hurdles that young adulthood threw at me.
I am currently unaware of when the support stops and what the transition period begins
— Read Harry’s story

Harry’s story

“I am currently unaware of when the support stops and what the transition period begins”

As somebody turning 26 soon and at university, I currently still have a PA. however I am currently unaware of when the support stops and what the transition period begins.

However I am not worried too much about it as I had failed a year of university and due to this I was not supported by my PA or LA for the year as they could not offer me help. I wouldn’t say I am used to not receiving support, however it gave me an experience to understand what is to come in the next few months as I finish university and with little support!
I have my foster family who I know are always available if I need advice and help
— Read Elle’s story

Elle’s story

“I have my foster family who I know are always available if I need advice and help”

By the time I turn 25, I will have finished my degree and I will have started building my career and my life outside of university. I am worried that I won’t achieve this – that I’ll be really lost and won’t have achieved any of what I’m setting out to do. I have a lot of goals as of yet, but it is different in the real world.

It makes it a lot tougher to know that it will just be me and that I can’t just phone my PA if I need help or advice. Luckily for me though, I have my foster family who I know are always available if I need advice and help, which makes it a little less daunting. But of course, I’m still terrified!
I know I’m not the only one who has [continued in education] to avoid losing the support
— Read Jasmin’s story

Jasmin’s story

“I know I’m not the only one who has [continued in education] to avoid losing the support”

Turning 25 for me is daunting. I have already joined a Masters programme with one of the main aims being still in education/training as I turned 21 so I kept getting support. Obviously this is not an ideal reason for joining a programme of education but for care leavers this is the reality. I know I’m not the only one who has done it to avoid losing the support!
Being care experienced does not just stop at 25, so why should the support stop at 25?
— Read Kim’s story

Kim’s story

“Being care experienced does not just stop at 25, so why should the support stop at 25?”

I am 25 next year, I have already stopped receiving support from my Local Authority, from the minute I turned 23 and received my permanent flat (which was last October). I have not heard from my PA since, which is very surprising considering we are in a PANDEMIC! I am someone who never really depended on help/support provided by Social Services purely because I knew one day it was going to abruptly stop and I was right!

Since October, I have been working full-time in my graduate job and I have become an advocate for care experienced people. I believe that there should be greater support for care experienced people who are 25+ because being care experienced does not just stop at 25, so why should the support stop at 25?
21 is far too young to cut people off and that even by 25 I wasn't quite ready to be alone and self sufficient
— Read David’s story

David’s story

“21 is far too young to cut people off and that even by 25 I wasn't quite ready to be alone and self sufficient”

In a nutshell: at 25 I was working alongside 21 other care experienced people and a few Scottish charities to petition the Scottish Parliament for law change, I lost social work support at 21 after years of trying to make my own tenancy work.

It is my belief that 21 is far too young to cut people off and that even by 25 I wasn’t quite ready to be alone and self sufficient, luckily I had a lot of friends to lean on and was working with several charities to try and implement change, this kept me going. If I could speak to any social work department / local authority I would recommend making sure that until a young person is absolutely ready to go life alone, that they have steady support… Lets keep in mind that the average young person doesn’t leave home until 26/27 and even then they still have parental support.
I don't have anyone fighting my corner in regards to getting the right mental health support
— Read Louise’s story

Louise’s story

“I don't have anyone fighting my corner in regards to getting the right mental health support”

At 25, I’m unemployed but in my own flat. Losing support at 25 meant that I don’t have anyone fighting my corner in regards to getting the right mental health support. Additionally, I can’t get help applying for work; fortunately, I can still call upon my PA for a reference.
I thought it would all be okay in the end-and it was
— Read Ben’s story

Ben’s story

“I thought it would all be okay in the end-and it was”

This is the picture I found. It is from Sarejevo airport during the war in Bosnia. Around 1994. You can see in the back some UN armoured personal carriers and I am wearing a 20 kg flak jacket (bullet and shrapnel proof vest). The airport was controlled by the United Nations, but was surrounded by snipers and was actually a bit risky when you walked out onto the airfield. It would have been very cold, but I guess I am smiling because I was about to get a flight out of the city to Italy for a brief break. We were in conflict conditions there, often no electricity and water cuts and the fear of being caught in the crossfire of the war.

I would have returned to university the following academic year to complete my degree. I had not had much support from the local authority since leaving care at 16-but they did give some money toward my university costs. I guess I was optimistic about the future, but had not resolved much of the pain of the past or the fear of where I would turn to if things all went wrong. Somehow I thought it would all be okay in the end-and it was. I can see these mixed emotions in my eyes and face in this photo and the few other photos I have from my younger days.
They had abandoned me at a time when I really could have done with a bit of support
— Read Rona’s story

Rona’s story

“They had abandoned me at a time when I really could have done with a bit of support”

When my support from my leaving care team ended I was 22. I was just finishing my final year of university studying for a BA(hons) in Youth and Community Work. My PA at the time visited and told me that the service was changing. That we would no longer have an allocated PA post-21 and would be able to contact the duty team if we needed anything. I was given a letter which phrased the change as though it was a choice and it was going to allow me to be more independent. It asked me whether I wanted support; A from the duty team or B not at all.

I was coming up to a huge turning point in my life and I felt abandoned. I was looking for my first full time job and somewhere to live all at the same time. I had no support and ended up having to stay with my participation worker for a week after my student tenancy ended while I waited for my new landlord to confirm I could move in. I remember being so furious, not for myself, but for everyone else. I knew that I was incredibly lucky to have such a good support network whereas so many care leavers do not. The thought of all those people slipping through the net and ending up in awful situations was horrifying to me.

I hate calling people to ask for help so the idea of speaking to a duty worker who knows nothing about me, having to relay the same information over and over again, just wasn’t something I wanted to be doing and I thought that other care leavers would probably feel the same.

I did have to contact the duty team about 3 times after that, only to access my leaving care grant to kit out my flat. When I moved in to my first place the only furniture I owned was a sideboard and a set of plastic drawers. I was so grateful to friends who donated things to me on the day I moved in as getting money from my local authority took forever. I ended up purchasing a mattress out of my own money and claiming it back months later just so I would have something to sleep on.

I’m only 24 now and I’ve decided to have nothing to do with any of it anymore. I work as a support worker for the local authority, often alongside the care leavers team so it would be a huge conflict of interest. However, I also completely lost all trust in them. They had abandoned me at a time when I really could have done with a bit of support. When I went to university I was told I would have support until I finished education. They moved the goal posts and it just wasn’t fair.

At this point, I can’t wait to turn 25 so I can officially say I am done with it all and get on with my life. I will always be proud to be a care leaver but I’m happy to say I succeeded without them.
My birthday feels like a countdown to having all of my support cut
— Read Danni’s story

Danni’s story

“My birthday feels like a countdown to having all of my support cut”

I am 24 and to me my birthday feels like a countdown to having all of my support cut. I feel lucky that I am in a position where I am able to live independently, but as this is not the case for many care leavers, I disagree that funding should be cut at 25. Instead it should be regularly assessed and slowly reduced to suit the needs of the individual. There is no ‘one size fits all’.
I'm in a good position and happy with where I am in life, mentally it feels like I've lost part of my support mechanism
— Read Ahmed’s story

Ahmed’s story

“I'm in a good position and happy with where I am in life, mentally it feels like I've lost part of my support mechanism”

I recently just turned 25 despite I’m in a good position and happy with where I am in life, mentally it feels like I’ve lost part of my support mechanism.

Turning 25

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