What is changing this year
You stay in education or training until your 18th birthday. At 18, you become an adult in law: health consent and data sharing change; adult social care may assess you under the Care Act and a financial assessment may decide if you contribute to costs. Some people are assessed for Adult Continuing Healthcare by the NHS. Work and study support is available through Access to Work, 16 to 19 Bursary Funding and Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA).
What to do this year
- Focus your study programme on your goals for work and adult life. Use Access to Work or Disabled Student Allowance where relevant.
- Prepare for adult health services and consent at 18; ask how your care will be managed.
- If adult social care support is likely, request an assessment before 18 so support continues.
- Learn how paying for care works at 18 and what a financial assessment means.
- Explore housing options early and register interest if needed.
Education and planning
You should continue in education or training until your 18th birthday. Your EHC plan can continue after 19 if you still have education outcomes to achieve. If you are nearing the end of education, use your final annual review to plan the support you will need to link into adult services.
Find more information on our Ceasing an EHC plan page.
Health and wellbeing
Richard tells you how booking and going to hospital appointments changes when you become an adult. Parents cannot consent for you, unless a Court of Protection order exists.
If your main need is health-related, you may be assessed for Adult Continuing Health Care.
If there is no equivalent adult health service for you to move to, then your health needs will be managed by your doctor (GP). Kate explains how this works.
More information on Moving between children’s and adults healthcare.
Social care and support
If you are likely to need support from adult social care the referral could have been submitted from the age of 14. Where appropriate, a strengths-based Care Act Assessment will be completed before you turn 18 years to identify Care Act Eligible needs. It is good to take place when you understand what your needs will be beyond the age of 18.
If you already receive children’s social care, it should continue until adult assessment is complete. There should be no gap. Parents can ask for a Carer’s assessment as roles change.
At 18, social care support changes from a family focused approach to one that centres on you as an adult. As part of this independence, you may also need to pay for some care. See our Help with paying for care and support page for more information.
Find more information on Moving to Adult Social Care services.
Transport and travel
Post-16 you are encouraged to use public transport. Many students will be assessed for independent travel training by the end of the first term of post 16 education.
See Travel assistance for SEND for more information.
Driving may be an option from 17; some can start at 16 depending on disability benefits. Mobility Centres have teams of occupational therapists and driving instructors with specialist knowledge to help with physical or additional needs that cause challenges with learning to drive.
See Learning to drive for more information.
Money and benefits
Work and study can come with support. Access to Work can fund a job coach, travel or equipment you need to work. Many under-19s in full-time education can get Help with health costs.
Once a child turns 18, banks will often freeze accounts (including Child Trust Funds) if they believe the account holder lacks capacity and there is no legal deputy or appointee in place. Find out more about the Mental Capacity Act.
Legal and citizenship
You can vote from 18. You will need to be registered and show accepted photo ID when voting in person. More information on Making decisions and voting.
Police processes also change at 17, you can be interviewed by the police, given a reprimand or a warning, without an adult present. You are entitled to an appropriate adult at the police station if you have a learning disability.
Proving your age or identify
Sometimes you will need to show people that you are the right age to do something. This is called proving your age using an ID or Identity Document. It will show your date of birth, a photo of you, and your address.
Driving licences are often used as proof of ID. They fit in your wallet unlike a passport. A provisional driving licence does not work as an ID card in the same way as a driving licence though.
If you are unable to get a driving licence, you can get another type of photo ID card when you turn 18. Make sure it has the PASS mark to be accepted in different places.
To vote, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate if you do not have accepted photo ID or you no longer look like your photo in your ID.