Issue - meetings
Council Tax Reduction for Care Leavers
Meeting: 20/03/2024 - Council (Item 38)
38 Council Tax Reduction for Care Leavers 
PDF 107 KB
Purpose
To consider proposals to extend the age that Care Leavers can receive a reduction in Council Tax from 21 years to 25 years
Recommendations
That Full Council resolves to;
1. Approve to extend the age that a care leaver can receive a reduction in their council tax from 21 years to 25 years;
2. Approve to include those care leavers from outside of Gloucestershire County within the offer;
3. Approve the amended Eligibility Criteria as set out in Annex A
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The purpose of the report was to consider proposals to extend the age that Care Leavers could receive a reduction in Council Tax from 21 years to 25 years.
The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Evemy, introduced and made the following points:
- There had been a Corporate Parenting and Care leavers Briefing setting out councillors’ the responsibilities as corporate parents.
- The Council had a duty of care for those in care and those who have left care within the District.
- There were 864 young people in care in Gloucestershire and 29 were in the Cotswold District.
- Care leavers within the new policy were those aged between 18-25. There were 560 such people across Gloucestershire and 13 within the District.
- The difficult circumstances of care leavers were important to recognise.
- The policy would provide support for those leaving care with their Council Tax within the District along with identical motions across Gloucestershire.
Councillor Stowe seconded and made the following points:
- The wellbeing of residents should be at the centre of the Council’s decisions in order to support their life development.
- The impact on the Council’s finances was relatively small compared to the positive impact on the lives of care leavers.
Council noted the excellent Corporate Parenting briefing provided to Members.
It was noted that there should be support for transition to paying for Council Tax and helping to support care leavers to manage their money.
The Deputy Leader summed up and made the following points:
- Councillor Evemy had spoken with officers on the point of care leavers at the end of their Council Tax exemption and processes would be in place to help give the right direct support.
- It was noted that from the briefing that there were 15 ambassadors on Gloucestershire County Council’s Corporate Parenting Panel which raised the issue of access to leisure and housing. It was noted that the Deputy Leader would see how the Council could support access to housing and leisure facilities.
RESOLVED That the Full Council:
1. APPROVED to extend the age that a care leaver can receive a
reduction in their council tax from 21 years to 25 years;
2. APPROVED to include those care leavers from outside of
Gloucestershire County within the offer;
3. APPROVED the amended Eligibility Criteria as set out in Annex A
Voting Record
30 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstention, 4 Absent/Did not vote
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For |
Against |
Abstention |
Absent/Did not vote |
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Andrew Maclean |
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Claire Bloomer |
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Angus Jenkinson |
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Julia Judd |
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Chris Twells |
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Roly Hughes |
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Clare Turner |
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Tristan Wilkinson |
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Daryl Corps |
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David Cunningham |
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David Fowles |
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Dilys Neil |
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Gary Selwyn |
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Gina Blomefield |
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Helene Mansilla |
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Ian Watson |
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Jeremy Theyer |
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Joe Harris |
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Jon Wareing |
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Juliet Layton |
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Len Wilkins |
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Lisa Spivey |
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Mark Harris |
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Mike Evemy |
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Michael Vann |
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Mike McKeown |
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Nigel Robbins |
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Nikki Ind |
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Patrick Coleman |
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Paul Hodgkinson |
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Ray Brassington |
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Tom Stowe |
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Tony Dale |
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Tony Slater |
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Meeting: 07/03/2024 - Cabinet (Item 249)
249 Council Tax Reduction for Care Leavers PDF 107 KB
Purpose
To consider proposals to extend the age that Care Leavers can receive a reduction in Council Tax from 21 years to 25 years.
Recommendations
That Cabinet resolves to recommend to Full Council to:
1. Approve to extend the age that a care leaver can receive a reduction in their council tax from 21 years to 25 years;
2. Approve to include those care leavers from outside of Gloucestershire County within the offer;
3. Approve the amended Eligibility Criteria as set out in Annex A
Additional documents:
- Appendix A Care Leavers 2024 CDC, item 249
PDF 47 KB
- Annex B - Equality and Rurality Impact Assessment, item 249
PDF 550 KB
- Webcast for Council Tax Reduction for Care Leavers
Decision:
The purpose of the report was to consider recommending to Full Council proposals to extend the age up to which Care Leavers can receive a reduction in Council Tax from 21 years to 25 years.
Councillor Evemy introduced the report and outlined its contents.
There were various questions to the report author present and comments about the proposals.
Councillor Evemy proposed the recommendations and Councillor Bloomer seconded.
That Cabinet AGREED to recommend to Full Council to:
1. Approve to extend the age that a care leaver can receive a reduction in their
council tax from 21 years to 25 years;
2. Approve to include those care leavers from outside of Gloucestershire County within the offer;
3. Approve the amended Eligibility Criteria as set out in Annex A.
Voting Record
5 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstention, 3 Absent/Did not vote
Minutes:
The purpose of the report was to consider recommending to Full Council proposals to extend the age up to which Care Leavers could receive a reduction in Council Tax from 21 years to 25 years.
Councillor Evemy as Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance introduced the report and made the following points:
- The current scheme meant that those leaving local authority care were automatically exempted up to the age of 21.
- The new scheme across Gloucestershire would mean that those solely liable for Council Tax would see 100% reduction and 50% reduction for those jointly liable.
- The recommendations would support some of the most vulnerable people in society who need to be supported to avoid circumstances such as homelessness which was common.
- It was noted that whilst there were only two care leavers within the Cotswold District as highlighted at paragraph 5.3 in the report, the principle of providing this support was important to approve.
Cabinet asked about the application process for those who need to obtain the exemption. The Business Manager confirmed that individuals from within Gloucestershire would not need to apply as the information is held by the County Council.
The Chair asked about those arriving from outside the area. The Business Manager noted that the County Council and the District Council would provide appropriate communications to ensure that individuals in these circumstances not known to the County Council already knew about the scheme.
Councillor Evemy proposed the recommendations and Councillor Bloomer seconded.
That Cabinet AGREED to recommend to Full Council to:
- Approve to extend the age that a care leaver can receive a reduction in their
council tax from 21 years to 25 years;
- Approve to include those care leavers from outside of Gloucestershire County within the offer;
- Approve the amended Eligibility Criteria as set out in Annex A.
Voting Record
5 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstention, 3 Absent/Did not vote
|
For |
Against |
Abstention |
Absent/Did not vote |
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Claire Bloomer |
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Joe Harris |
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Juliet Layton |
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Lisa Spivey |
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Mike Evemy |
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Paul Hodgkinson |
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Mike McKeown |
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Tony Dale |
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