YOUNG care leavers look set to be provided with some support as they enter adulthood.

Following a motion which was initially tabled at a full council meeting by Brookvale and Kings Furlong ward councillor Mike Westbrook, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is now to start looking at providing council tax support to those who are leaving care.

In October 2017, a campaign was launched nationally called “wolf at the door” to encourage local authorities to favour an exemption from council tax for care leavers.

Cllr Westbrook was among the local councillors pushing to support the idea of providing discount on council tax for young people who are leaving care.

The issue is set to be discussed at an economic, planning and housing committee meeting this evening

A report put before councillors read: “The proposal is for the following discount to be awarded for care leavers, which is in line with other council tax discounts, allowing a care leaver who lives alone to receive a full discount, but if the care leaver lives with others, council tax will still be payable but at a reduced rate.

“The council tax care leavers discount would apply from their 18th birthday up to their 25th birthday for all care leavers, who have left HCC (Hampshire County Council) care only and are resident in the borough, estimated cost up to £12,500 per year.”

Cllr Westbrook said that the report means there is likely to be a positive outcome for his proposal.

He said: “I would hope we could get cross-party agreement on this and set the example for other Hampshire districts to follow.

“Having read the report, which builds on my motion presented to council and supports the basic premise of delivery of council tax support to those leaving care, it’s looking promising.”

Cllr Westbrook added: “Many of us still remember what it was like when we first left home to branch out on our own. I would hazard a guess that most of us have relied on the support both financially and emotionally that our families have provided, and many of us continue to provide that support for our own children.

“Our responsibilities as parents don’t stop the day that our children leave home, so I believe it’s incumbent upon us all to help care leavers in whatever ways are available to us as a local authority, so that they have the best life chances.”