Care leavers to be exempt from council tax until 25

Rochdale is set to become the latest Greater Manchester borough to raise the age at which care leavers have to pay council tax.

Town hall bosses are expected to follow the lead set by authorities in Bury, Manchester, Stockport and Trafford by not billing previously looked-after children until they turn 25.

All boroughs in the city region offer the exemption up to the age of 21 - and are understood to be looking into the possibility of raising it still further.

It comes after the government extended local authorities’ ‘corporate parenting responsibility’ to the age of 25 -including making sure care leavers are on a sound financial footing.

And Councillor Kieran Heakin, Rochdale’s children’s services cabinet member, says the authority takes its commitment to those leaving care extremely seriously.

He said: “We look on children in care as our own. I’m a corporate parent but I want the best deal for these children just as I do my own.

“This was raised about two years ago by young people themselves, who said they would like us to consider exempting them from council tax, because when they get a bit of independence and move into their own accommodation, it can be a bit tough for them.

“I’m pleased we are able to do that, it’s just a small thing, but helps them a lot.”

In Rochdale there are currently 35 care leavers receiving a council tax discount at an annual cost of just over £35,000 - and extending the scheme is not expected to increase this figure ‘significantly’.

Early adulthood can be difficult for young people whatever their background, and many struggle to find a secure job or somewhere affordable to live.

But a report by The Children’s Society found that care leavers can be particularly vulnerable to council tax debt, and often struggle to manage their budgets when they begin to live independently for the first time.

Work undertaken in Rochdale has shown this to be the case for the majority of the borough’s care leavers, and Councillor Heakin says it is right to provide them with additional support.

He said: “Others may be doing something similar, but a lot of people have a family behind them, so when they move out they have a door open there.

“We keep a door open for them and it’s similar in that we keep a watching brief on them. That’s why training flats are good, it gives them independence, but there’s someone there in the background to semi-supervise them.

“It’s a fall-back situation, and when they find their feet they can move on and find their own lease of life.

“It’s what young people wanted when it comes from them you have to listen to them, it gives them more ownership , which is what they need."

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter