TfL announces half-price travel for vulnerable young adults leaving care services

Around 15,000 young adults leaving social care services will be offered half-price bus and tram travel to assist their transition into independent living, Transport for London (TfL) has announced.

Photo by Tomi Vadász on Unsplash

Children who were in care but lose support as they become adults often remain particularly vulnerable and face challenges transitioning into adult life, and this can mean fewer care leavers go on to further training or university and can face complex challenges as young adults.

Analysis by The Children’s Society suggests that across London, over 15,000 young people are living in care each year, many of whom will often find it challenging to navigate living independently alongside having a job, undertaking training, or remaining in the education system post-18.

Nationally, nearly 42 percent of care leavers aged 19-21 were known not to be in education, employment, or training. This compares to around 11 percent of all 19 to 21-year-olds. Furthermore, where care leavers remain in education or seek a job or apprenticeship, the costs of doing so can often be an extra financial burden.

An independent review of children’s social care, published in May 2022, noted that the leaving care grant of £2,000 offered to care leavers to help set up a home has not been updated for over a decade, although it was finally lifted to £3,000 last year.

Candidly, in London, even if a person finds a home the moment they leave care, the deposit and first month rent will likely wipe out that grant, leaving little to settle in.

Therefore, to assist care leavers, TfL will offer a new travel concession that provides half-price bus and tram travel up to 25 years old. The discounted travel offer opened for applications today here.

(c) TfL

Announced by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan in October 2023, the new concession is expected to support between 15,000 – 16,000 care leavers across London aged between 18 to 25 who are now eligible to apply for the travel concession. It will directly support those who have left care once they turn 18 by allowing them to be able to travel more affordably while they transition into independent living.

The new concession is part of the Pan London Care Leavers’ Compact, a common core offer of support designed with care-experienced young people and agreed by the Mayor, TfL, London boroughs and London’s health services.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “Leaving care can be extremely challenging or daunting for young adults who can feel unprepared for the transition to independent living. Many care leavers lack the resources needed to continue training or gain meaningful employment once leaving care, which can, in turn, lead to both financial and emotional hardship.

“That’s why I’m pleased to announce that today my new care leavers travel concession has opened for applications, meaning care leavers aged between 18 and 25 who live in London can apply for half-price bus and tram travel. This will give these young people a helping hand to thrive in this next stage of their lives as we continue to build a better, fairer London for everyone.”