Agenda item

To receive a report containing an update on the proposal in relation to Care Leavers’ Council Tax.

The Committee considered the Care Leavers Council Tax update report which was set out in agenda pages 15-17.

The Chairman expressed dissatisfaction that the report did not include details and options of the sliding scale as had been requested.

Lisa Humphreys, Assistant Director of Children’s Social Care explained that the report had been submitted to the 29 March 2018 Executive and a decision had been made to give Care Leavers council tax exemption to the age of 21.  Lisa pointed out that it was administratively very difficult and not cost effective to deliver a sliding scale and means test this benefit between the ages of 21 to 25.

During the discussion of the item the following points were made:

·           The Chairman stated that those points raised by Lisa Humphreys should have been included in the report, she also stated that means testing had not been considered at any point;

·           Councillor Miall confirmed that the idea was not to means test this benefit.  He stated that the initial proposal had the intention to prevent Care Leavers from gaining a criminal record as a result of no payment of Council tax.  He also agreed that the options should have been listed in the report and that means testing was not to be considered;

·           Lisa Humphreys stated that the report had been submitted to various boards and it had evolved and changed as a result;

·           Councillor Shepherd-DuBey pointed out that care leavers were unlikely to be high earners and that the intention of this proposal was to give Care Leavers the help that would have been given by parents;

·           Councillor Younis had expected more details to have been submitted in the report, with options;

·           The Chairman stated that this Committee had been involved in the development of this policy and the expectation was that it would be also involved in any recommendations;

·           Paul Senior, Director of People Services stated that Lisa Humphreys had amended this report in response to comments from various boards, and that this latest version captured the evolved policy.  He pointed out that the policy had received positive feedback from the Department of Education;

·           The Chairman pointed out that the report did not include the Executive decision;

·           Lisa Humphreys informed that Executive had approved the exemption up to the age of 21, with a caveat that the sliding scale would be considered at a later stage;

·           The Chairman’s understanding was that Councillor Ashwell was going to bring back the proposal for a sliding scale from 21-25 to this Committee.

Upon being put to the vote the Committee agreed to ask that a report containing options for a sliding scale from 21-25 be brought back to the next meeting of the Committee.  The Committee asked that the relevant financial information be included in the report, however it was noted that the finance was not a major issue in this case.  The Committee would then make a recommendation to the Executive.

RESOLVED That:

1)     The Care Leaver Council Tax report would be brought back for consideration to the next meeting of the Committee; and

2)     The report would include options for a sliding scale Council Tax exemption from the ages of 21-25.