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Health services

As you get older, you may start taking more responsibility for your health. You may choose to see your doctor and other health professionals on your own, instead of with your parents or carers. All health professionals must keep everything you tell them confidential - they can't tell your parents anything you don't want them to know.

Moving from children's health services to adult health services

Around age 16 to 18, you will often need to move from children's health services to adult health services. Exactly when you do this varies depending on where you live and which services you use. You can keep seeing your local doctor, but you may start seeing a different team at your local hospital or social services department.

The timing of the move to adult services should take your health needs into account. The move itself should be a process, not a single event. There should also be a detailed exchange of information about you between the two teams. You should not be discharged from children's health services until your care has been successfully transferred to adult health services.

Sometimes, paediatricians (doctors who specialise in treating children) continue to see their patients after they become adults. This will probably happen if a patient has a rare condition about which the doctor has developed specialised knowledge.

Mental health services

As a young adult, your life may be changing rapidly. You may want to speak to someone in confidence about any issues that are worrying you. There are a wide range of mental health services available to young people which you can access through your GP. You may also be able to see a counsellor at your school or college. You can find out more about mental health support services on Cross & Stitch. You may also want to visit the website of Young Minds, the national charity for children and young people's mental health.

• Visit the Young Minds website Opens new window

Housing

When you turn 16, you have the right to decide where you want to live. Some options include:

Sheltered housing

For some people, sheltered housing may be a good introduction to independent living. Sheltered housing enables people to live independently - sometimes in shared flats - with a warden to call on in emergencies. Some sheltered housing schemes are designed specifically for disabled people and may have specialised facilities and staff.

Home adaptations and disability equipment

If you want to move away from home, you may need some disability equipment or adaptations to your new home. You should contact social services for a new assessment of your needs, and explain that you are looking to leave home.

The assessment will consider what equipment and home adaptations you need to enable you to live independently, and whether you need any care services to replace care you may have received at home - from family members, for example. You may be able to get a Disabled Facilities Grant to help with the cost of these.

• Your home, adaptations and equipment (disabled people section)

Rented housing

If you want to move into private rental accommodation, think about whether the property is suitable for your needs. Private landlords do not have to make adjustments to their properties for disabled tenants. However, you may be able to make (and pay for) an adjustment yourself with your landlord's permission. This may be on the condition that you remove or reverse the adjustment at the end of your tenancy.

You can find out more about your rights as a tenant from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

• The Equality and Human Rights Commission (disabled people section)

Social or council housing

Another option is to apply for a council or housing association flat or house. These properties are sometimes called social housing.

To get a place in social housing, you need to be on a waiting list. Priority is given to people who already live or work in the area, so it makes sense to apply locally. Your first step should be to discuss your housing needs with someone in your local authority housing department.

Staying at home

If you decide to stay at home, ask your local social services for a new assessment of your needs as you approach adulthood. You may be able to do some tasks for yourself that others may have done before with the right support or equipment.

Education

You can find out more about the learning and training choices available to you in the general 'Education and learning' section of Cross & Stitch. You can also find advice specifically for disabled students in the 'Education and training' section.

• 14 to 19: your life, your options (education and learning section)

• Education and learning - advice for disabled people (disabled people section)

Employment

When you have turned 16 and completed year 11 at school, one of the choices open to you is to leave school and start work. While you are still at school, you can get advice about finding a job from your school careers adviser. You can also get advice and practical help with finding work from a Disability Employment Adviser at your local Jobcentre Plus office.

Disability Employment Advisers are experienced at supporting disabled people to find a job. They can advise you about specialised support and work schemes available to disabled people.

• Help with finding work (disabled people section)

Learning to drive

Having a disability or medical condition does not necessarily mean you cannot learn to drive. However, there are some medical conditions and disabilities that you must let the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency know about.

You can normally learn to drive when you are 17 years old. If you get the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance, you can drive at 16. All new drivers should have professional driving lessons. As a disabled driver, you may prefer an instructor who has experience of teaching disabled people.

• Learning to drive (disabled people section)

Financial support

Disability Living Allowance

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a benefit for children and adults who need help with personal care or getting around. If you are under 16, your DLA will be paid to your parent or carer. When you turn 16, it can be paid directly to you, or to someone who can manage your money for you if necessary.

The rules about who can get DLA change at age 16. From age 16, you no longer have to show that you need more care or supervision than another person of the same age.

This change may mean that you're entitled to a higher rate of DLA than before, or that you can receive DLA for the first time. If you are already entitled to DLA before you turn 16, your claim will be looked at again around the time of your 16th birthday.

If you weren't entitled to DLA before age 16, make a new claim when you turn 16 if you think you qualify as an adult.

You can receive DLA even if you have a full-time job. Your DLA will not affect any benefits your parents receive.

• Disability Living Allowance (disabled people section)

Employment and Support Allowance

If you’re over 16 and have an illness or disability which affects your ability to work, you may eligible for Employment and Support Allowance.

You’re usually only able to claim this if you’ve paid enough National Insurance contributions during your working life. However, you may still receive it if you’re under 25 and satisfy certain conditions.

If you live with your parents, your entitlement to Employment and Support Allowance may affect your parents' benefits if they get any of the following:

• Employment and Support Allowance (disabled people section)

Carer's Allowance

If someone is claiming Carer's Allowance for caring for you, this will not be affected by your claiming any benefits in your own right. However, your carer will still need to meet the conditions for receiving Carer's Allowance.

Direct payments

Direct payments are local council payments for people who:

• have been assessed as needing help from social services
• would like to arrange their own care and support services instead of receiving them direct from the local council

If you are under 16, your parents or carer(s) will manage your direct payments for you. When you turn 16, you have the right to manage your own direct payments. This means you can choose which services you want to use and who provides those services. Your local council must agree that the services you have chosen meet your assessed needs. You may also choose to use your direct payments to employ a professional carer, if necessary.

Useful contacts

• Education and learning contacts for disabled people

• Student finance contacts

• Accessible technology contacts