THOSE who have left care could receive more than £2,400 in backdated council tax.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, which covers parts of Ascot, has decided to exempt care leavers from paying council tax until they are 25 years-old.

The discount could equate to more than £100 a month, with savings backdated to June 1, 2015.

Councillor Natasha Airey, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “For many care leavers their lives have already involved a lot of difficulty and uncertainty before they come to taking their first steps into an independent life.

“What we want to do is make sure they know that, while they may have left the care system, there are still plenty of things we can do as a council to help make their lives easier.

“This will not affect a large number of people in the borough, but by putting more than a thousand pounds a year back into the pockets of some of our most vulnerable residents, we hope to make a real difference to the next stage of their lives.”

A Band D property in an unparished area of the borough currently has a council tax base of £1,223.77, meaning the new scheme will save each care leaver at least £100 every month.