Supporting people FAQ
- What is supporting people?
- Is it the same as care services?
- Why was supporting people set up?
- Who is supporting people for?
- Who is responsible for supporting people?
- Who funds supporting people?
What is supporting people?
Supporting people aims to make sure people get the housing related support they need to live more independently, avoiding life in a care home or hospital, for example or life on the street. It gives housing related support to more than 1.2 million people, helping them make a success of their tenancies, or to move to independent living from other places such as prison or hospital.Is it the same as care services?
No. The supporting people programme covers only housing related support services. For example, services may provide help with life skills such as cooking, paying bills or budgeting, which is part of living independently. But these work well with local health or statutory care services, such as personal or nursing care, to help someone live independently.Why was supporting people set up?
The idea for supporting people began in 1996 when a judicial review decided Housing Benefit should in future pay only for rent, and not support services. The supporting people programme was launched on 1st April 2003 to replace the old arrangements.
Who is supporting people for?
Anybody who needs support to live more independently. For example someone who has:
- been homeless
- been in prison
- drug or alcohol problems
- mental health problems
- HIV / AIDS
- learning difficulties
- physical or sensory disability
- been at risk of domestic violence
- difficulty coping because of their age (such as older people, teenage parents or young people at risk of offending)
- come to the UK as a refugee
- a history of tenancies breaking down
Who is responsible for supporting people?
The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is responsible for supporting people at central government level. Supporting people is delivered locally by 150 local authorities and more than 6,000 organisations providing housing related support.Who funds supporting people?
Funds have come from grants including:
- Transitional housing benefit
- DSS resettlement grant
- Probation accommodation grant and others