Manchester City Council has announced care leavers will be exempt from paying council tax until they are 25.

The decision means that anyone who has been in care for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14, and who was in care on their 16th birthday, will not need to pay any council tax until they turn 25.

The authority is also setting up a new council-owned company to deliver a bespoke leaving care service to all our care leavers.

Cllr Garry Bridges, executive member for children and families at Manchester City Council, said: 'Our ambition is that every young person ends up with the same support we’d give our own children. That’s a difficult challenge - because these young people have gone through things that we wouldn’t want anyone to go through and their needs are greater.

'That’s why we want to transform our service for young people leaving our care to meet those needs - we know they have untapped potential and we want to do everything we can to help them succeed at the highest level.'