Care leavers who were given a one-off, no strings attached £2,000 grant were less likely to become homeless or spend time in hospital or prison, according to a new study. One participant, Aeryn Hill, said the £2,000 had made "a big improvement" in her life as "we don't get the opportunity to do things that other people do". All were initially asked to fill in an online survey before 100 were randomly chosen to receive the £2,000 grant, from June 2023. They found that those who received the money were: Young people who received the cash transfer consistently reported that they spent 12% less on alcohol, tobacco or drugs than they had previously. " The 22-year-old from the West Midlands spent two years in care as a teenager, living with foster parents, which she describes as a "very mentally taxing experience". Researchers from King's College have already started another project examining whether giving homeless people a £2,000 no strings attached cash grant can tackle homelessness.