Proposed by Councillor Wendy Clements

Seconded by Councillor David Elderton

Council notes that:

1. OFSTED has identified support given to care leavers in Wirral is a key issue.

2. A 2016 report by The Children’s Society found that when care leavers move into independent accommodation they begin to manage their own budget fully for the first time. The report showed that care leavers can find this extremely challenging and with no family to support them and insufficient financial education, are falling into debt and financial difficulty.

3. Research from The Centre for Social Justice found that over half (57%) of young people leaving care have difficulty managing their money and avoiding debt when leaving care.

4. The local authority has a duty of care to care leavers as ‘Corporate Parents’.

Council believes that:

1. To ensure that the transition from care to adult life is as smooth as possible, and to mitigate the chances of care leavers falling into debt as they begin to manage their own finances, they should be exempt from paying council tax until they are 25.

2. To write to the Minister of State for Children and Families, urging him to introduce a national exemption for care leavers from council tax up to the age of 25.

One amendment which had been circulated in advance of the meeting was submitted in accordance with Standing Order 12(1) and (9), as follows:

Proposed by Councillor Janette Williamson

Seconded by Councillor Bernie Mooney

To be added:

“Council would like to acknowledge the hard work over the last year of its officers on amending Wirral's Council Tax Base to exempt Care Leavers up to the age of 25 from paying Council Tax.  As a Labour Council we recognised the importance of such a move, after the issue was highlighted to us by the Children's Society's 'Wolf at the Door'.  We have acted on that and are pleased to announce that as from April 2018 our amended policy will be implemented.  

We note that our Care Leavers will already face significant financial barriers as a result of this Conservative government's cruel austerity programme, which disproportionately affects young people. Cuts to working age benefits, proliferation of zero hours contracts and the increase in sub-standard rented housing mean our vulnerable young people are not given the same life chances previous generations were at the same age. 

We further note that austerity has pushed more young people into statutory intervention each year - a direct result of Tory Government policies which have hit the least well-off most harshly.  This was highlighted by Alison Michalska, president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services recently when she said that austerity policies and an increasingly fragmented approach to public services by this government were taking a toll on communities and punishing the most economically fragile households.  She further said "the unintended consequence of the government's austerity programme has been to drive up demand for child protection services as more and more families find themselves at the point of crisis with little or no early help available".

Despite facing relentless cuts to Wirral's funding from central government, we have made a choice to help our vulnerable young people and ensure that as they learn to budget independently they are free from the fear of Council Tax debt.

Wirral is prepared to fulfil its pledge to look after the most vulnerable and we call on the Conservative government to do the same by:

1.  reversing its cruel and harsh austerity programme

2.  providing young people with an economically and emotionally secure future

3. a fairer funding formula for Wirral Council to provide the services its residents expect and need”

Following a debate and Councillor W Clements having replied, the amendment was put and carried (41:17) (One abstention).

The substantive motion was then put and carried (41:17) (One abstention).

RESOLVED (41:17) (One abstention) -

Council notes that:

1. OFSTED has identified support given to care leavers in Wirral is a key issue.

2. A 2016 report by The Children’s Society found that when care leavers move into independent accommodation they begin to manage their own budget fully for the first time. The report showed that care leavers can find this extremely challenging and with no family to support them and insufficient financial education, are falling into debt and financial difficulty.

3. Research from The Centre for Social Justice found that over half (57%) of young people leaving care have difficulty managing their money and avoiding debt when leaving care.

4. The local authority has a duty of care to care leavers as ‘Corporate Parents’.

Council believes that:

1. To ensure that the transition from care to adult life is as smooth as possible, and to mitigate the chances of care leavers falling into debt as they begin to manage their own finances, they should be exempt from paying council tax until they are 25.

2. To write to the Minister of State for Children and Families, urging him to introduce a national exemption for care leavers from council tax up to the age of 25.

Council would like to acknowledge the hard work over the last year of its officers on amending Wirral's Council Tax Base to exempt Care Leavers up to the age of 25 from paying Council Tax.  As a Labour Council we recognised the importance of such a move, after the issue was highlighted to us by the Children's Society's 'Wolf at the Door'.  We have acted on that and are pleased to announce that as from April 2018 our amended policy will be implemented.  

We note that our Care Leavers will already face significant financial barriers as a result of this Conservative government's cruel austerity programme, which disproportionately affects young people. Cuts to working age benefits, proliferation of zero hours contracts and the increase in sub-standard rented housing mean our vulnerable young people are not given the same life chances previous generations were at the same age. 

We further note that austerity has pushed more young people into statutory intervention each year - a direct result of Tory Government policies which have hit the least well-off most harshly.  This was highlighted by Alison Michalska, president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services recently when she said that austerity policies and an increasingly fragmented approach to public services by this government were taking a toll on communities and punishing the most economically fragile households.  She further said "the unintended consequence of the government's austerity programme has been to drive up demand for child protection services as more and more families find themselves at the point of crisis with little or no early help available”.

Despite facing relentless cuts to Wirral's funding from central government, we have made a choice to help our vulnerable young people and ensure that as they learn to budget independently they are free from the fear of Council Tax debt.

Wirral is prepared to fulfil its pledge to look after the most vulnerable and we call on the Conservative government to do the same by:

1.  reversing its cruel and harsh austerity programme

2.  providing young people with an economically and emotionally secure future

3.   a fairer funding formula for Wirral Council to provide the services its residents expect and need.