Issue - meetings

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, on a proposed amendment to the Council Tax Section 13A Discount Policy Statement.

The Board was advised that a recent Children’s Society campaign called upon local authorities to do more to support families struggling with council tax debt, particularly care leavers. At its meeting on 5 September 2017, the Corporate Policy and Performance Board considered a report on the matter, recommending changes to the Council Tax Section 13A Discount Policy, so that care leavers were exempt from paying council tax until they reached their 25^th birthday.

It was reported that, under Section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, the Council had  a general discretionary power to reduce the liability for council tax in relation to individual cases or classes of case that it may determine, where national discounts and exemptions could not be applied. It was proposed that Care Leavers relief would be available from the start of the 2018/19 financial year, with an estimated cost of £6,000 per annum.

RESOLVED: That the amendment to the Council Tax Section 13A Discount Policy Statement, to reduce to nil the amount of council tax payable by young people leaving care from the age of 18 to 25, be approved.