A study published by King’s College London on 16 March 2026 reported improved housing outcomes among young people leaving care who received a one-off £2,000 payment. The money came without conditions on how recipients spent it.
The trial involved 99 recipients across nine English local authorities. Researchers compared their outcomes with those of 200 similar care leavers who did not receive the payment, with follow-up at six and twelve months. The Policy Institute conducted the research for the Centre for Homelessness Impact, supported by the government’s Evaluation Accelerator Fund.
At six months, recipients were eight percentage points more likely to report stable housing. Sofa-surfing was 6.6 percentage points lower in the payment group. By twelve months, the reported difference in sofa-surfing had narrowed to 3.3 percentage points.
Those figures describe differences between groups, rather than a guarantee for any individual. An eight-percentage-point difference is also distinct from saying that housing stability increased by eight per cent: the two expressions measure different things.
The university’s research summary describes the work as a randomised controlled trial. This approach strengthens the evidence about the intervention compared with simply observing people who independently chose to receive support. However, the results still concern a defined group, payment size and follow-up period.
The researchers also reported improvements in wellbeing and social connections. Their summary emphasised that some benefits weakened during the year, suggesting that a single payment of this size might not produce lasting change by itself.
For housing-policy discussions, the study offers evidence about one form of support during the transition from care. It does not establish that a cash payment can replace housing supply, advice or every other service, or that the same results would apply to every population.
This archive report concerns the March 2026 research findings. It is not an announcement of a current grant scheme or an invitation to apply for £2,000.