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LGA calls for council tax and health costs exemptions for care leavers

1 min read Social Care
Care leavers should not have to pay council tax or health costs such as for prescriptions, dental treatment and eye tests, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).
Free eye tests should be among offers given to care leavers, experts say - Nicholas Felix/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock

The council representative body says the move would help prevent those leaving care from falling into financial hardship and support their transition to independent living.

Exemptions from council tax and healthcare costs should be for those leaving care up to the age of 25, it adds.

The LGA says the move is needed as care leavers are “more financially vulnerable than their peers”, with more than four in five care-experienced young people struggling to afford essentials, according to National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum figures cited by the local government organisation.

Some councils already have council tax exemptions or reductions in place but the LGA wants to see a central government backed exemption England-wide to “ensure there is a consistent offer across the country”.

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