Universal Credit (Standard Allowance Entitlement of Care Leavers) Bill [HL]

Lord Bishop of Derby Excerpts

2nd reading
Friday 17th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[The Lord Bishop of Derby]

My Lords, I congratulate my right reverend friend the Bishop of Manchester on bringing this Private Member’s Bill. I declare my interest as chair of the Children’s Society—a charity rooted in the Church of England and a key partner in the Church’s work to support care-experienced children and young people. I therefore welcome this Bill for the difference that it would make to care leavers.

As mentioned, last week we were privileged to hear directly from care leavers. I pay tribute to their resilience and I know that they are listening closely today. Their testimony reinforces my support for the Bill.

Three recurring themes emerge from our conversation: vulnerability, inconsistency and disempowerment. First, too many young people are made profoundly vulnerable as they leave care without a sufficient safety net around them. A recent survey by the National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum found that 82% of care leavers struggled to afford food some or all the time.

We have heard how much more vulnerable care leavers are to the risk of homelessness. Our conversation evidenced how, without the familial networks on which others may rely, care leavers often do not have access to support while applying for universal credit. On leaving the children’s home where she had lived until turning 17, Helen shared with us that she did not start claiming universal credit for two years, because she was not aware that she was eligible. Leo was thrown into the deep end, as he described, without access to a professional adviser. He had to rely on the support staff at his hostel to learn about how to submit his claim.

Another theme is inconsistency. We have heard the difference experienced by care leavers following the Children’s Society’s Fighting for a Fairer Start campaign, which means that 80% of local authorities across England have now committed to exempt care leavers from council tax until they are 25. Aaliyah reported to us the traumatising experience of being in council tax arrears because she was in one of those areas that did not exempt care leavers. So I echo the request already made to the Minister to explore with colleagues in MHCLG whether exemption from council tax and other matters could become a universal entitlement for care leavers under the age of 25.

Finally, the current system disempowers care leavers. Rona now works in this sector. As a care leaver herself, she observes a contrast between the way in which some people engage with her, as a professional, and the claimant she is supporting. Young care leavers experience all too often an ill-informed disregard, distrust and hostility in these interactions. Last year, in a policy paper the Government committed to creating

“a culture change in which we realise our shared ambition to support children in care and care leavers”.

This must start with taking them seriously, giving due regard to their experience and perspective. I, too, welcome the introduction of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which aims to increase financial support for care leavers on the lowest incomes; I look forward to engaging closely with noble friends in this Chamber.

Navigating young adulthood is challenging enough. It is simply unacceptable to allow some of the most vulnerable young adults in our country to continue to face undue and unnecessary financial pressures just at the time when they are striving to build healthy, positive and productive lives. That is why I support this Bill.