Care leavers given one-off £2,000 more likely to find housing, UK pilot finds

Young people in receipt of the cash lump sum were less likely to be sofa-surfing than their peers and had a better quality of life. Photograph: Imgorthand/Getty Images

The first UK trial to test the impact of unconditional cash payments on homelessness found people given £2,000 were more likely to be happier, in stable housing and had stronger relationships six months later.

The landmark study by the Policy Institute at King’s College London found that young people leaving care who were given a one-off £2,000 cash lump sum, with no strings attached, were less likely to be sofa-surfing than their peers and had a better quality of life.