Good Practice Note guides local authorities through Council Tax exemptions for Care Leavers
CELCIS, in association with the Scottish Care Leavers Covenant Alliance has published a Good Practice Note for local authorities who are implementing the recent legislative change which determines that all young care leavers across Scotland are exempt from paying council tax.
The practice note is in response to feedback from a wide range of stakeholders, gathered at a recent roundtable workshop, where they discussed the effective and consistent implementation of the Council Tax (Discounts) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2018 (SSI, 2018 No.39) (the Regulations) in their role as Corporate Parents. The Practice note outlines key considerations and a range of measures for local authorities to take in implementing the regulations, now established in law.
The exemption applies to any eligible 'care leaver' (as set out in section 29 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, and amended by section 66 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 and who:
- has been looked after by a local authority from 16 years old or at any subsequent point after this date
- is aged between 18 and 26 years
- lives on their own
This practice note is drawn from the discussions and outlines key considerations and a range of measures for local authorities to take as Corporate Parents to ensure consistent and effective implementation of the regulations, now established in law.