Council tax move to help care leavers

ROYAL BOROUGH: A council tax exemption for care leavers is set to be extended to cover people up to the age of 25 in Windsor and Maidenhead.

Young people who have spent time in care are currently spared from paying council tax until their 22nd bir thday.

But this support will now be increased to help lift the financial burdens for youngsters who do not have family support to rely on.

Councillor Stuart Carroll (Con, Boyn Hill) told a cabinet meeting on Thursday: “When you’re entering the workplace and trying to get on in life and have bills to pay and taxes to pay that can be very challenging and very stressful, not least if you don’t have family support behind you.

“Bringing forward this idea to exempt care leavers up to the age of 25 which would bring us in line with other local authorities and is not only ethically the right thing to do but speaks to a critical priority of the council to ensure we are doing whatever we can to support care leavers and vulnerable cohorts.”

The meeting heard how the decision to extend the council tax exemption has been the result of 18 months of work between all political groups within the borough alongside the Corporate Parenting Forum.

Councillor Amy Tisi (Lib Dem, Clewer East) added: “As a council we’re acutely aware of the extra challenges faced by care leavers and now we’re doing what we can to empower them to live as independent and successful lives.

“Our care leavers can’t rely on the bank of mum and dad so they must be able to bank on our support as their corporate parents.”

The scheme will see all care leavers within the borough exempt from paying council tax until the age of 25. Care leavers who were under the responsibility of the council and now living outside of the borough are set to be granted an allocation towards their council tax equal to the amount received by those living in Windsor and Maidenhead.