Milton Keynes care leavers receive council tax support

The Children’s Society has praised the authority for being one of a handful across the country to introduce measures to support young people who are leaving the care system with a council tax reduction of up to 100%.

Councillor Zoe Nolan, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Children and Families said: “We are committed to supporting young people who leave care to set up home and live independently. As their ‘corporate parent’ we act as any good parent would and in this case it means helping them out financially as they face the challenges of managing a household, continuing education or seeking employment, as well as managing their personal finances and paying household bills for the first time.”

Councillor Norman Miles, Chair of the Council’s Corporate Parenting Panel, added: “I am delighted that our approach has been recognised nationally. We take our role as corporate parents extremely seriously in Milton Keynes. I hope other authorities will follow suit and implement similar measures to support care leavers to get a good start to their adult lives.”

The support is offered as part of the Council’s Council Tax Reduction Scheme and applies until care leavers reach 22 years old.