Council to help care leavers

YOUNG care leavers will pay no council tax from next year in a bid to ease their transition into adulthood after moves were approved by Halton Borough Council.

The executive board gave the green light for the new policy which will come into effect in April 2018 for 18 to 25-year-olds leaving care in Runcorn and Widnes.

The move follows a Children’s Society campaign which identified a range of disadvantages that care leavers typically experience.

The campaign called upon local authorities to do more to support families who are struggling with council tax debt, in particular, care leavers.

A council spokesman said the local authority agrees with the campaign’s principal sentiment that young people’s transition out of care and into adulthood is ‘extremely difficult’ and that managing money for the first time can leave care leavers ‘vulnerable’ and ‘at risk’ of falling into debt.

Halton Borough Council’s executive board member for finance, Cllr Mike Wharton, said: “Care leavers who were looked after by a local authority rather than their parents are amongst the most vulnerable groups in our community.

“Outcomes for this group are generally poor and, as corporate parents, the council wants to keep them safe, make sure their experiences leaving care and moving into independent living are positive and improve their ongoing life chances.”

Sam Royston, director of policy and research at The Children’s Society, which has campaigned nationally for care leavers to be exempted from council tax, said: “We’re delighted that Halton Borough Council is introducing this exemption which will make life easier for many young people making the move into independent living.”