Dudley Council Tax Care Leaver Exemption — 100% Reduction Until Age 25

If you meet Dudley's care-leaver criteria and are liable for Council Tax in Dudley, the council can reduce your bill to zero until you reach 25. This is a 100% reduction — you pay nothing for council tax while it applies.

This is not means-tested. Your income, employment status, and savings do not matter. Eligibility depends on your age, care history, council tax liability, and Dudley's care-leaver criteria.

Who Qualifies

You are eligible for the care leaver council tax reduction in Dudley if:

• You were looked after by a local authority for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14
• You were looked after by a local authority at school-leaving age or after that date
• You are under 25 years old
• You live in the Dudley borough
• You would be named on the council tax bill if you were not a student

It does not matter which local authority originally looked after you. If you were in care in Birmingham or Wolverhampton and have since moved to a property in Dudley, you still qualify for the Dudley care leaver reduction — provided you can prove your care history.

The reduction applies to properties you are liable for in Dudley. If you live in a shared house where the landlord is liable for council tax, the reduction does not apply (because you are not the person being billed).

How to Apply

Contact Dudley's Council Tax team on 0300 555 8000 or email [email protected]. The council asks for:

• A letter or similar confirmation from a local authority that you were a care leaver
• Proof of your date of birth

If you received care in Dudley, the council says it can confirm your status on your behalf. Otherwise, ask the local authority that looked after you for confirmation.

What Happens When You Turn 25

The 100% reduction ends on the day you turn 25. From that point, you become liable for council tax under the normal rules.

If you are on a low income or claiming Universal Credit when the care leaver reduction ends, you should apply for Council Tax Reduction before your 25th birthday to avoid a gap in support. Dudley's working-age CTR scheme covers up to 40% of your bill (with a 60% minimum payment), so the transition from paying nothing to paying at least 60% is significant. Starting the CTR application early gives the council time to process it before your care leaver status expires.

You may also qualify for the 25% single person discount if you live alone, which is separate from CTR and stacks on top of it.

Care Leavers in Shared Accommodation

If you are jointly liable for council tax with another adult who is not a care leaver, Dudley says the exemption can still apply. It does not apply if the bill is in someone else's name, such as a landlord's. The council does not describe this as a reduction limited to an individual occupant's share.

If everyone in the household is a care leaver under 25, the entire bill is reduced to zero.

Dudley's Corporate Parenting Commitment

The care leaver council tax exemption is part of Dudley Council's corporate parenting policy — a recognition that young people leaving care face higher financial vulnerability during the transition to independent living. It is a discretionary policy under Section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, meaning the council chooses to offer it (most English councils now do, though the details vary by authority).

For the full picture of council tax support available in Dudley — including the hardship fund, backdating rules, and how CTR works after you turn 25 — see the Dudley Council Tax Reduction guide.

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