Introduction

In recent months, national and local policy shifts have brought renewed attention to the housing needs of care-experienced individuals. The UK Government has implemented long-awaited reforms exempting care-experienced individuals under 25 from local connection requirements when applying for social housing. Simultaneously, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) has confirmed updates to its Housing Allocation Policy, giving its own care-experienced individuals the highest priority band.
While these changes are welcome steps forward, Project R’s analysis shows they fall far short of addressing the deeper, systemic inequities care-experienced individuals face. The persistence of postcode-driven rights and two-tier systems proves the urgent need for Poppy’s Law—a national statutory framework that extends universal Priority Access Rights to age 35.
 

National Policy Amendments: A Step, Not a Solution

In July 2025, new national regulations came into force, exempting care-experienced individuals under 25 from local connection tests when applying for social housing. This means that a young person leaving care can no longer be automatically excluded from a housing register simply because they were moved out of their original local authority’s area.
Charities and advocacy organisations welcomed this long-overdue change, with Coram Voice noting that it would help remove one barrier to access. However, as they and others also warned, priority banding is still left to the discretion of local authorities, leaving care-experienced individuals’ prospects dependent on postcode rather than principle.
 

Rotherham’s Policy Update: A Case Study in Two-Tier Provision

Rotherham Council has updated its Housing Allocation Policy for the first time in over a decade. From December 2025, care-experienced individuals placed by Rotherham Council will receive Band One priority—the highest available. This is a clear recognition of the acute vulnerability of young people leaving care.
However, out-of-borough care-experienced individuals will only receive Band Three priority unless a reciprocal agreement exists with their original council. As the official report puts it:
“Band One to Rotherham care leavers, and Band Three to out of Borough care leavers” (RMBC, 2025).
This distinction entrenches a two-tier system. Care-experienced young people—many of whom were forcibly moved out of their home borough by the state itself—are now penalised a second time. Their housing security is determined not by need, but by the accident of which authority once held their file.
 

The Wider Evidence: Persistent Inequity

• Homelessness: Over 4,300 care-experienced individuals experienced homelessness in England in 2023, a rise of more than 50% in five years.
• Mental Health: Around 45% of care-experienced individuals have a diagnosable mental health disorder, compared to 10% of their peers.
• Criminal Justice: Over half of care-experienced individuals have a criminal conviction by age 24; they remain grossly overrepresented in the prison population.
These outcomes reflect systemic instability and exclusion. They will not be solved by partial fixes or piecemeal local reforms.
 

Why Poppy’s Law is Needed: Beyond Postcodes and Partial Measures

The Poppy’s Law draft legislation, written in memory of Poppy Waterhouse, directly addresses these shortcomings. It recognises that support gaps after age 25 and postcode-based disparities are not mere flaws, but systemic failures.
Key provisions include:

• Extension of Priority Access Rights
“Any care-experienced individual under the age of 35 shall be deemed to have priority need for housing, irrespective of local connection criteria.”
(Poppy’s Law Draft Legislation, Section 1(2)(d))

• Universal Coverage
“These rights shall be guaranteed on a universal basis across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, ensuring parity regardless of placement history, geographical location, or originating authority.”
(Poppy’s Law Draft Legislation, Section 6(1)(a))

• Suicide Prevention Duty
“A local authority must take all reasonable steps to reduce the risk of suicide among care-experienced individuals up to the age of 35.”
(Poppy’s Law Draft Legislation, Section 4(1)(a))

Together, these provisions would end the postcode lottery once and for all, ensuring that care-experienced individuals are never discriminated against on the basis of where they were placed as children.
 
Our Position
Project R welcomes both the national exemption of local connection tests and Rotherham’s recognition of care-experienced individuals’ vulnerability. These steps show that government and councils are beginning to acknowledge the scale of the problem.
But they are not enough. As long as Band One belongs to some care-experienced individuals and Band Three to others, inequity persists. As long as rights expire at age 25—when need so clearly does not—the cycle continues.
Poppy’s Law is not just an aspirational idea; it is a practical legislative solution to a systemic injustice. It ensures that care-experienced individuals receive the same protections everywhere, for long enough to make a difference, backed by national law rather than local discretion.
 
Call to Action
We urge all supporters, policymakers, and members of the public to join us in pressing for the Royal Assent of Poppy’s Law.

• Sign and share our petition.

• Write to your MP demanding national adoption.

• Share the message that care-experienced rights should never depend on a postcode.
Together, we can honour Poppy’s legacy by creating the universal safety net she—and thousands like her—were denied.
 
© 2025 Project R | Poppy’s Law Campaign – Priority Access Rights for Care-Experienced People