Buying a home or even moving into a rented property is an increasingly unrealistic dream for many young people. This summer, BBC Your Voice revealed more than 40% of 25-year-olds were now living with their parents. Dozens of young people told us they were having to rely on the so-called Bank of Mum and Dad to help cover rent, bills and other living costs.
But what happens if you cannot rely on help from family? Citizens Advice says increasing numbers are struggling to afford everyday essentials like rent and food without support from their parents. Three women told us how they are navigating life without that safety net.
Eleanor Bell, 23, from East Riding of Yorkshire, has a first-class degree but is struggling to find work Eleanor Bell is now 23, but was taken into care when she was 10. She grafted hard to do well at school and got a first-class degree from the University of Central Lancashire. After graduating two years ago, she thought the playing field would even out.
Eleanor says she has applied for more jobs than she can count and had a handful of unsuccessful interviews. She's currently living in her boyfriend's home outside Penistone in South Yorkshire, which helps with living costs, but the rural location has made the job hunt harder for someone without a driving licence. "I know a lot of people who've got jobs because their mum or dad worked there before them." When she saw a BBC article about how many young people now live with their parents, she got in touch.
"I guess it makes me a bit sad. I'd like to live with my parents... but it made me think about the people like me, the people that don't have that, what are they doing then? Who do they have to fall back on?
"It's like everyone in their 20s is having to tread water, but I haven't been given a buoyancy aid," Eleanor tells the BBC. Official figures show that 39% of care leavers aged 19 to 21 in England are not in education, employment or training, compared with around 13% of young people overall. "I want to be independent and so when you get to this kind of thing it's like hitting a wall." For Eleanor, it's not just financial support and the roof over her head that she's missing.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
