Homelessness and Rough Sleeping

Lord Cormack Excerpts

Wednesday 24th July 2013 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hanham]

My Lords, my understanding is that for children leaving care, local authorities are obliged to keep acting for them until they are 21 if they are homeless. So they are already being looked after. We recognise that a number of children under 21 leave care. The 15 to 18 year-olds, in particular, are well cared for but we know that we have problems with the 18 to 25 year-olds. I am advised that in the specific area of children leaving care, local authorities have responsibility for those until they are 21.

[Lord Cormack]

My Lords, further to the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Dubs, does the Minister agree that if we are truly determined to ensure that young offenders and others are properly rehabilitated and do not reoffend, it must be incumbent on us to ensure that they have the means to survive when they come out of jail?

[Baroness Hanham]

My Lords, I totally agree with my noble friend and I accept that benefits are a requirement. I am afraid that I cannot respond on how they are assessed at the moment and I will write to both noble Lords on that.