Facing the future without the 'bank of mum and dad'

The prime minister used the plight of young people unable to rely on the "bank of mum and dad" as a curtain-raiser for Labour's annual conference.

The Your First Home scheme will offer a government-backed loan of 20% of the purchase price - with a minimum deposit of 2.5%.

But how tough are things at the moment for young people who have left school and want to make their way in the world?

Chari, 19, from Hertfordshire, spent some of her childhood in care but has just started at university and has ambitions to qualify as a doctor of psychology.

The challenge at the moment is just getting through the next few years, she says.

"I receive universal credit and that's usually what I would use to pay for my housing in Hertfordshire, but they've cut it off this month because I'm moving to university and they think SFE [the student loan] will cover it.

"SFE is delayed, so I have no money this month whatsoever - I'm three days in and already I'm in debt."

She added: "I'm dipping into savings I had planned to afford a future for myself just to get by now.

Copyright for this text belongs to BBC.