Post-18 accommodation
For leaving-care teams planning the 18th birthday. The contract, the rate and the funding route change. Where the accommodation still suits, the young person can stay in the same home while the arrangement around them changes.
Guide rate
Post-18 UASC
£38.50/night
Full accommodation-led charge, £269.50 a week. Housing-cost payments reduce the authority contribution, not this charge.
Who this is for
The leaving-care team, not the placement desk
The 18th birthday is a funding and contract event that arrives on a known date, and it is usually the point at which a stable placement is put at risk by paperwork rather than by anything to do with the young person. This page is for the worker who has to plan around that date.
It applies to care leavers and to former unaccompanied young people alike. The funding routes differ; the planning problem is the same.
On the transition itself, what changes when a young person turns 18 in supported accommodation covers the contract, the funding and the planning that has to happen first. On the wider leaving-care picture, see what actually works in care leaver accommodation in Wales. And because the 18th birthday is the deadline the plan works back from, when independence planning should start and what it should cover.
What continuity means here
Change the route, not the address
The same address
Turning 18 is a change of contract and funding route, not a change of home. Where the accommodation still suits, the young person stays where they are.
Support commissioned separately
Post-18 provision is accommodation-led. It is not a staffed placement and does not include a named support team or keywork. Where support is still needed, it is commissioned separately at the hourly rates on the guide rate card, which is what makes worker continuity possible rather than automatic.
The Studio and the app
Access to the Studio, the community cafe in Swansea, and to the TIFA young person app for check-ins, messages and goals, continues after 18. Both apply in every arrangement, including accommodation-led provision.
A route agreed in advance
The responsible authority, the immigration or care-leaver status, the Pathway Plan, the housing route, affordability and the applications are confirmed before responsibilities change.
The funding picture
What the authority pays, and what it does not
Weekly funding example, illustration only
Council contribution: around £18 a night
- Full accommodation-led charge
- £269.50
- Illustrative housing-cost payment
- −£126.00
- Illustrative resident contribution
- −£20.00
- Remaining council contribution
- £123.50
- Equivalent per night
- £17.64
Full accommodation-led charge, £269.50 a week. Housing-cost payments reduce the authority contribution, not this charge.
Eligible former-UASC funding
Home Office contribution: £270/week
This is a contribution to the authority for eligible former UASC care leavers, not TIFA Life’s total placement price. Eligibility and the complete funding package are confirmed individually.
The £126 housing-cost payment and the £20 resident contribution are assumptions requiring confirmation for each young person, not guaranteed benefit awards or approved resident charges. The housing-cost payment is either Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit depending on the actual arrangement, and the placement offer states which applies. Where no housing-cost payment is available, for example while an asylum claim is outstanding, the authority pays the full charge. The £270 weekly Home Office contribution is subject to the 2026-27 leaving-care funding instructions and individual eligibility. Immigration legal advice remains with qualified advisers.
Where this sits in the offer
Post-18 accommodation is normally the continuation of a 16+ placement rather than a new one. Where the young person came to TIFA Life as an unaccompanied young person, the planning starts on the UASC 16+ pathway. Where the accommodation needs to change as well as the contract, the options are on the guide rate card.
Post-18 accommodation FAQ
Does the young person have to move at 18? +
What does post-18 accommodation cost? +
How do housing-cost payments affect what the authority pays? +
Is the Home Office leaving-care contribution part of your price? +
Who does this service suit? +
What is TIFA Life's position with Care Inspectorate Wales? +
TIFA Life is not a CIW-registered children's home or care service. We accept placements only where needs can be safely met within our supported accommodation model.
Make a referral
A senior lead will respond in writing within 24 hours and confirm a suitability decision within one working day, with same-day capability for emergencies.