Specialist homelessness service usage and receipt of income support for people transitioning from out-of-home care

Young people who are, or have been, in out-of-home care (OOHC) may be particularly vulnerable in the time after leaving care, as they adjust to independent living. This national report is an update to the AIHW’s two previous reports on this topic, from 2021 and 2022, which used linked Australian Government (Centrelink) and state and territory (OOHC) administrative data to explore patterns of income support receipt for people transitioning from out-of-home care. In 2022-2023, the AIHW expanded the previous linked data asset by linking to the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection (SHSC), which includes information not only on the provision of housing support, but a range of other specialist services. This report, using the enhanced linked data asset, explores the degree to which young people who have been in care require income support and support from specialist homelessness services.