Bid to exempt care leavers from council tax welcomed

A Torfaen councillor's bid to exempt all care leavers from paying council tax up to the age of 21 has been welcomed.

Colette Thomas will propose a motion at a meeting of the full council on Tuesday.

Alex Sommerville, from Swansea, was 17 when she moved into her first flat after leaving care and said she was "paranoid about getting into debt" without the "safety net" of a family to fall back on.

She said not having to pay council tax would help care leavers feel more secure in setting up their first home.