YOUNG people leaving care will be exempt from council tax in a bid to help vulnerable people in Wirral.

The move by Wirral Council will supposedly help those who are moving to live independently.

In Wirral there are currently 417 care leavers - 236 of them are between the ages of 18 and 25 with 60 of these young people are classed as living independently.

The estimated cost of the change will be around £40,000. 

Cabinet member for finance Cllr Janette Williamson said: “This is the right thing to do and shows that this Labour council will do what it can to help those who are least well off and most in need.

"The change means young people will be exempted from council tax up to age 25, which will help give them a better start in their adult life.

“In terms of the cost, we are acting now despite the continuing savage cuts to our council’s budget by the Government because these young people need our help and the Conservatives in Whitehall have only taken benefits away from them.

“For example, from April 2016, in-work allowances for those leaving care were scrapped by the Tories, costing those vulnerable young care leavers claiming Universal Credit up to £72 per month (or £865 per year), according to the Children’s Society report.

“These same young people are also three times more likely to have their benefits sanctioned, which only goes to show that the Tories again do nothing to help young people and it is only Labour which cares – and acts.”

The change is expected to come into effect from April 2018.

Council leader Phil Davies told the Globe: “This move shows yet again how we are targeting our scarce resources and prioritising those who need our help the most, as set out in our 2020 Vision pledges.

“The Tories have already shown they don’t care about Wirral, they won’t help residents affected by the New Ferry explosion, are cutting our NHS causing closures, and the prospect of the roll-out of Universal Credit next month is expected to only cause further hardship to the least well-off.

“This move will help some of the most vulnerable in our community and shows only Labour cares about Wirral.”

Conservative group leader Cllr Ian Lewis said: "I’m delighted the Labour Group is responding to our call to support care leavers and give them a better start in adult life. 

"As we know from the recent Ofsted report, the support given to the most vulnerable young people in Wirral was rated as ‘Inadequate’. 

"It was adding insult to injury to expect those care leavers to then pay for what has been a diabolical service.”