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Your parents can’t take care of you if they're any of the following:
- in prison
- mentally incapacitated and unlikely to get better
- living in a nursing home or a similar institution and unlikely to get better
- missing and no one has been able to find them.
You may need to give proof that you meet these requirements.
If your parents are in prison
We need evidence confirming when they went to prison and their expected release date.
If your parents are living in a nursing home, hospital or similar institution
We need evidence showing how long they’ve lived there.
If your parents can’t take care of you because they’re mentally ill
We need medical evidence, like a report from the doctor or specialist treating them. The report should say all of the following:
- what their illness is
- how it affects their ability to care for you
- how long they won’t be able to care for you.
If your parents are missing
We’ll try to find them. We may ask you for information, including:
- their date of birth
- other names they’re known by
- their last known address or employer.
If we assess that your parents can’t take care of you, we’ll treat you as independent but this is reviewable. If your parent’s circumstances change we may consider you dependent again.