Council acts to help young people leaving care
From 1 April, Eastleigh Borough Council is introducing a discount to exempt care leavers from Council Tax. This is being implemented to reflect challenges faced by many care leavers as they learn to budget their finances independently.
The Council wants to support care leavers within the Borough by reducing their Council Tax liability by up to 100% between the ages of 18 – 21 and by up to 50% between the ages of 21 to 25.
Cabinet Lead for Social Policy Cllr Tina Campbell said, “This support for local people leaving care is a great initiative that means the Council will be providing financial support to care leavers at an important time in their lives whilst they develop independent lives and life skills.”
She added, “Care leavers are a particularly vulnerable group for Council Tax debt, and as they move into independent accommodation and begin to manage their own budgets. It can be a challenging time that could be made worse if they fall behind with Council Tax.”