Post-18 accommodation
For leaving-care teams planning for a young person turning 18. The contract, the rate and the funding route change. If the home still suits them, the young person can stay where they are.
Guide rate
See the full guide rate cardPost-18 UASC
£38.50/night
Full accommodation charge, £269.50 a week. Housing-cost payments reduce the authority contribution, not this charge.
Who this page is for
The 18th birthday changes the funding and the contract, and the date is known in advance. It is usually the paperwork around that date, and nothing about the young person, that puts a settled placement at risk. This page is for the worker who has to plan for that date.
The page covers care leavers and former unaccompanied young people. The funding routes differ, but the planning 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. On the planning that leads up to the birthday, see when independence planning should start and what it should cover.
What changes at 18
The same address
Turning 18 changes the contract and the funding route. If the home still suits the young person, they stay in it.
Support commissioned separately
After 18 the placement is accommodation-led. It does not include staff at the property, a named support team or keywork. If the young person needs support, you commission it separately at the hourly rates on the guide rate card, which is how they can keep the same worker.
The Studio and the app
Access to the Studio, the community cafe in Swansea, and to TIFA Next, the young person app, for check-ins, messages and goals, continues after 18. Both apply in every arrangement, including accommodation-led placements.
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 the birthday.
What the authority pays
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
Housing-cost payments reduce the authority contribution. The charge stays the same. See the full guide rate card.
Eligible former-UASC funding
Home Office contribution: £270/week
This goes to the authority for eligible former UASC care leavers and is separate from TIFA Life’s total placement price. Eligibility and the funding package are confirmed individually.
The £126 housing-cost payment and the £20 resident contribution are assumptions until confirmed for each young person. Neither is a guaranteed benefit award or approved resident charge. The housing-cost payment is Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit, depending on the 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 usually continues an existing 16+ placement. If the young person came to TIFA Life as an unaccompanied young person, the planning starts during the UASC 16+ placement. If the accommodation needs to change as well as the contract, the options are on the guide rate card.
Support hours commissioned with post-18 accommodation can run at the Studio in Swansea, our community space on Mansel Street. Sessions are open to any authority’s young people up to 25, whoever houses them.
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.