Stockport Council will seek to exempt those leaving foster care from Council Tax completely until they turn 25, following a motion which passed through the Full Council meeting of Thursday 30th March.
The Motion, submitted by Stockport Labour’s Executive Member for Children and Family Services Cllr Colin Foster, was supported by all groups in the Chamber, and comes in response to the findings of the 2016 ‘Wolf at the Door’ report by The Children’s Society. The report finds that young people who leave care experience higher levels of risk in relation to debt than other groups during the early years of living independently. This can lead to negative impacts in terms of credit history or even criminal records, which can have an on-going negative effect upon life chances.
Local Authorities operate as ‘corporate parents’ to young people who live in care up to the age of 18. Stockport Council plans to exempt those which have left care after 18, until such time as they turn 25.
Commenting, Stockport MBC’s Executive Member for Children & Family Services, Cllr Colin Foster said:
“Stockport Council already makes provisions on Council tax for care leavers up until 21, some of which are discretionary exemptions. This motion makes Council Tax exemption concrete for these individuals, and goes further in seeking to exempt care leavers up until the age of 25.
“As corporate parent to these young people, Local Authorities have a responsibility to help furnish them with the tools to get on in life. Through this measure we are essentially doing what a normal parent would do for their children.
“This will make a significant difference to the life chances of these young people, helping them contribute to society and achieve their potential.
“Further work will need to be done on practicalities and cost, however estimates suggest the cost to the Council will be miniscule in relation to the help and assurance this provides young people who have been under our care.
“I applaud the work the Children’s Society have put in to this report and campaign, and I am proud to be a part of a Council which has voted to take such a forward-thinking stance on this issue.”
Stockport currently has 172 young people aged 18-25 which have left the care of Stockport MBC.
ENDS
- Research from The Centre for Social Justice finds that over half (57%) of young people leaving care have difficulty managing their money and avoiding debt when leaving care.
- Research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation that outlines how ‘accumulation of debt, threats to their tenancies and their inability to avoid this through careful budgeting’ were issues of continuing concern for care leavers.
- The Children’s Society ‘Wolf At the Door’ report is available here.