Which Councils Exempt Care Leavers from Council Tax in England

No National Standard — Every Council Decides

England has no mandatory national council tax exemption for care leavers. Scotland and Wales introduced blanket exemptions, but in England the Department for Education simply encouraged councils to use their Section 13A(1)(c) discretionary powers. Most have done so, but the details — age limits, cross-boundary coverage, mixed-household rules — vary from one billing authority to the next.

Over 300 billing authorities in England each set their own policy. What follows is how some of the larger ones operate, based on their published policies.

Manchester City Council

Manchester runs one of the most comprehensive care leaver policies in England. Relief covers ages 18 to 25 under Section 13A(1)(c), and critically, Manchester includes care leavers from other local authorities living in the city — not just Manchester's own care leavers. This reciprocal approach operates under an Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) protocol that extends across the Greater Manchester boroughs.

Manchester's policy also treats the care leaver's presence as a disregard for household discount purposes. If you're a care leaver sharing with a working partner, the household keeps its Single Person Discount — the partner pays what they'd pay living alone, and the council covers the care leaver's share.

Birmingham City Council

Birmingham's policy covers ages 18 to 25, administered through the Birmingham Children's Trust. The key restriction: it focuses on care leavers with a direct connection to Birmingham. If you were in care elsewhere and moved to Birmingham, the policy doesn't automatically cover you — you'd need to seek funding from your originating authority's leaving care team.

The application route runs through the 18+ team at Birmingham Children's Trust, which shares data directly with the council's revenues department. For care leavers in Birmingham's system, the process is relatively streamlined.

Bristol City Council

Bristol can grant up to 100% Section 13A relief to care leavers aged 18 to 25 — but only those formerly looked after by Bristol City Council. Out-of-area care leavers are excluded from the class policy.

Bristol's mixed-household rules are clearly documented: joint tenancies can get proportionate relief. The policy would generally look to award 50% if there is one other tenant and 33% if there are two, but each case is considered on its facts. The policy backdates to 1 April 2018 regardless of when you applied.

Leeds City Council

Leeds takes a different approach. Rather than a standalone Section 13A(1)(c) class discount, Leeds routes care leaver support through its Council Tax Reduction scheme and Discretionary Support framework. The maximum working-age CTR award is 75%, with the remaining gap potentially covered by discretionary top-ups.

This means care leavers in Leeds may still face a residual bill that Manchester or Birmingham care leavers wouldn't. The support exists, but it's structured as income-assessed assistance rather than an automatic status-based discount.

London Boroughs

London's 32 boroughs plus the City of London each run their own policies. Camden, for example, offers 100% Section 13A relief for care leavers aged 18 to 25 who were looked after by Camden's social care team. Other boroughs operate similar policies, but the cross-boundary picture is complicated — a care leaver moving from one London borough to another may lose their discount if the receiving borough restricts its policy to its own care leavers.

If you're a care leaver in London, check the specific borough where you live. The policy of the borough that looked after you doesn't apply in the borough where you now live unless that borough's own policy covers incoming care leavers.

Councils with Tighter Restrictions

Some councils cap relief at age 21 rather than 25 — West Northamptonshire is one example. North Northamptonshire awards care leaver relief to ages 18 to 20 after other discounts and Local Council Tax Support. For ages 21 to 25, the applicant is expected to claim Local Council Tax Support; a PA or social worker can support a full or remaining-year award if the liability is unmanageable because of the person's circumstances and vulnerabilities. Awards are reviewed annually up to age 25.

A few councils still haven't published a formal class-based care leaver policy. In those areas, care leavers must apply for individual Section 13A(1)(c) hardship relief, which is assessed against income and savings rather than care-leaving status alone. This makes the outcome less predictable and the process longer.

How to Check Your Council

Search your billing authority's website for "Section 13A care leaver" or "care leaver council tax discount." If the policy isn't published online, contact the revenues team directly and ask: "Does this council operate a class-based Section 13A(1)(c) care leaver discount policy?" The answer tells you which track your application will follow.

The Care Leaver Council Tax Claim System includes a policy-checking framework for auditing any English billing authority's care leaver provisions — age limits, boundary rules, mixed-household models, and backdating terms — so you know exactly what you're entitled to before you apply.

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