The Care Leaver Payment (Scotland) Regulations 2026: scrutiny report

Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are intended to help people receiving Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit with housing costs such as deposits or shortfalls in rent.¹Mygov.scot, Applying for a Discretionary Housing Payment A care leaver who is looking for private rented accommodation and receives Universal Credit but has no other resources could apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment to help with a deposit. But if they have received a Care Leaver Payment, having that money in the bank might prevent them getting a Discretionary Housing Payment. In these circumstances, some or all of the Care Leaver Payment would then have to be spent on the deposit, leaving less to support other aspects of independent living and reducing its overall value to the care leaver.

Recommendation 8: The Scottish Discretionary Housing Payment Guidance Manual should be amended to disregard Care Leaver Payment for the purposes of assessing an individual’s eligibility for Discretionary Housing Payment.