Centrepoint

The social security system should be based on the needs of those claiming support, not on their age. Our response to today’s announcement that people under the age of 22 could be prevented from claiming health top-ups of Universal Credit. ⬇️ We agree that there are too many young people out of work, training and education so any increase in support in job centres and other opportunities should be welcome. But the removal of the Universal Credit health top-up for those under 22 is a serious cause for concern. The government should be careful about removing financial support from young people who are likely to be extremely vulnerable and already struggling financially. It’s also well-known that many employers are not set up to hire and support people with experiences of multiple disadvantage, so reducing eligibility for benefits won't be enough to guarantee that young people can find work. The succession of crises in recent years have hit young people particularly hard and Universal Credit has failed to properly support them. It’s time that the government recognised that costs for essentials – from rent to food and bills – are the same whatever a person’s age and increase payments accordingly. Read more about the proposed reforms: https://bit.ly/4bzukLp

Nationwide Building Society is sponsoring your Sleep Out! Host your own Sleep Out before the end of March to make the most of your fundraising - every donation you receive will be doubled. You can host a Sleep Out for any group - big or small - from your family or your work team to your whole sports club. Our Sleep Out team will support you every step of the way. Find out more and sign up: https://bit.ly/41kiaCG Help us end youth homelessness. Nationwide Building Society are match funding Sleep Outs up to £50,000. Full Ts & Cs: https://bit.ly/41gbgOG

Mitak’s story shows the reality of youth homelessness and the resilience it takes to overcome it. From locking his door just to feel safe to struggling with trust, his journey is one no young person should have to face. We provided Mitak with the stability and support he needed to focus, rebuild, and look forward to a brighter future. 🌟 Ending youth homelessness is possible—but it takes all of us working together. By providing safe spaces and vital support, we can help young people like Mitak build the futures they deserve. #HomeMeansBelonging

For employers working with charities, payroll giving gives everyone a chance to get involved in supporting your chosen cause. Many of our most committed corporate partners have chosen payroll giving, transforming their corporate culture by making charitable donations simple and accessible, and making an enormous difference towards helping homeless young people unlock a future beyond homelessness. If you've been considering a payroll giving scheme for your company, or re-launching an existing scheme, Payroll Giving Month is the best opportunity to get started. Find out more: https://bit.ly/4k8nU9W #PayrollGivingMonth #LovePayrollGiving

Over 118,000 young people across the UK approached their local authority last year because they were facing homelessness – 10% more than the year before. That’s 1 in 62 young people. Local authorities are responsible for preventing or relieving a person’s homelessness – whether by helping someone to stay in their home, finding them accommodation, or even housing them. But in England, our new research shows that a third of young people are being turned away without an assessment – let alone receiving the support they may need. And it’s been getting worse for years. This means extremely vulnerable young people – including those who are pregnant, have severe mental health issues, or are fleeing domestic abuse – are left without support. They can be forced into homelessness, and this can mean being made to sleep on the streets. We want councils to make sure that every young person who approaches them for help receives an assessment – but we know that nothing will improve without action from the government too. More ringfenced funds are needed to give local authorities the resources they need to carry out their duties, but there should also be specific guidance for supporting young people – and action from the government when councils aren’t following the Homelessness Reduction Act. Young people facing homelessness are being forgotten, turned away, or ignored. We aren’t willing to see more young people left out. Join our campaign: https://bit.ly/3WPNmab

What if you could help end youth homelessness tax-free, via your salary? Payroll Giving is one of the easiest ways you can support our work – your donation is deducted from your salary before tax, so a £10 pledge will only cost £8 for a standard rate tax payer or £6 for a higher rate tax payer. We’re proud to be a chosen charity for so many loyal supporters across the country, who have opted for this easy, hassle-free way of giving in order to help us provide young people with the support they need to reclaim their dreams and have a future beyond homelessness. February is Payroll Giving Month, which means it's the best time to ask your employer about payroll giving. If your employer is already running a scheme, your payroll department can start deducting your donations from your pay as soon as you inform them you’d like to set up a regular donation. If your employer doesn’t run a scheme, or you’re not sure, just let us know - we’ll take it from there. Find out more: https://bit.ly/4k8nU9W. #PayrollGivingMonth #LovePayrollGiving

Earlier this month, we brought together voices from across the sector to share the different ways we can collaborate to end youth homelessness at our annual National Youth Homelessness Conference.   This year’s event centred around the theme of prevention, and featured panels and breakout discussions on schools-based screening and support, preventing family breakdown, and psychologically informed approaches to stopping repeat homelessness. We also heard from experts about improving renting standards for tenants, preventing homelessness for young people leaving care, and the importance of community to support young people into a home and job.   Thank you to our ambassadors Dean McCullough and Robi Walters, the young people who spoke so powerfully about their experiences – and to Coventry Building Society for hosting us at the Coventry Building Society Arena.    We really appreciate everyone who attended and shared their expertise – together, we can end youth homelessness. Upstream Australia Rock Trust Llamau Cardiff University / Prifysgol Caerdydd The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Wyre Forest & South Worcestershire Nightstop and Mediation Service Department for Education

Host your own Sleep Out and have DOUBLE the impact! Until the end of March, Nationwide Building Society will be match funding your Sleep Outs - meaning for every pound you raise, £2 goes towards the young people that we support. Helping to end youth homelessness is more impactful than ever, so why not gather your local sports team, school, community group, or family and friends to be part of the change? Our Sleep Out team will support you every step of the way. Find out more and sign up: https://bit.ly/41kiaCG Nationwide Building Society are match funding Sleep Outs up to £50,000. Full Ts & Cs here: https://bit.ly/41gbgOG

It was great to be in parliament this week to launch our new research report into the scale of youth homelessness, which highlights how over 118,000 young people faced homelessness across the UK last year. Thank you to Jennifer Riddell-Carpenter MP and Paula Barker MP for your support with this event – and to all the MPs who attended from across the different parties. Report author Ella Nuttall, our Senior Policy, Research and Databank Officer, shared some of the findings from the research, along with our key recommendations for improving young people’s access to support from their local authorities, plus ways we can tackle the housing crisis. We also heard from Rana, a young person with lived experience of homelessness – who wanted to use her voice to make a difference for other young people and called for everyone to work together to create change.   Read our new report: https://bit.ly/3ExFaVQ