Issue details

The Corporate Parenting Board has recently discussed the financial pressure that some care leavers are experiencing as they move from care to independent living. During recent meetings of the Care Leavers Forum and Lancashire's Children in Care Council (LINX) discussions have been held about care leavers particularly struggling with the additional cost of council tax which increases the risk of them struggling with debt when striving to live independently. A report completed by The Children's Society in March 2015 recommended that an exemption of 100% was applied to care leavers. Care leavers in education or training are already exempt (as a result of no/very low income) from council tax and the Children's Society and Lancashire's Corporate Parenting Board believes that this should apply to all care leavers up to the age of 25.

A range of Councils including Cheshire East, Milton Keynes, Birmingham, North Somerset and Hammersmith have introduced measures to exempt care leavers from Council Tax.