Somerset Council has U-turned on planned cuts to support for young carers following a considerable backlash from local residents.

The council’s executive committee considered new savings proposals for the coming year, as it prepares to set its next annual budget in February 2027 – the last before the crucial local elections in May.

The new savings proposals included removing support for young carers’ clubs and support for young carers in schools, which would save the authority £185,000.

But following significant negative feedback, this saving proposal has been removed – meaning cuts may fall in other parts of the council’s revenue budget.

Numerous members of the public submitted objections to the cuts before the committee met at the council’s Taunton headquarters on Wednesday October 7.

Zoe Costello said: “I am a parent of three children, two of whom are young carers to their sister, who has profound and multiple learning disabilities.

“I am deeply alarmed by the proposal to withdraw funding from the YMCA Brunel Group Young Carers groups.

“Dismantling these groups will break a vital operational link, reducing meaningful assessments to stressful, unfamiliar home visits.”

The recent school census identified that only 43 per cent of young carers in Somerset left school in 2026 with five GCSE passes – with young carers across the UK missing around a month of school each year on average.

The same census recorded just over 500 young carers out of 71,000 pupils (around 0.7 per cent) – twice the number recorded in 2023.

Ruth Hobbs from the Somerset Parent Carer Forum said: “This is not simply a budget saving – it is a decision affecting children who already carry significant caring responsibilities, and it raises important legal, safeguarding and procedural questions.

“What consultation has actually taken place with young carers and their families about this specific proposal?

“Before withdrawing preventative support, where is the evidence of the likely impact on young carers’ education, well-being, social isolation, family life and safeguarding?

“We ask the council to pause this proposal and require that proper scrutiny, consultation and impact assessment take place before any final decision is made.”

The council currently faces a projected budget gap for 2027/28 of nearly £40.3m – down from £58.8m predicted in March.

Lizzie Watkin, the council’s chief financial officer, said: “There is still significant work for this organisation to undertake in terms of identification of change, service reform and savings that need to come forward to reshape and resize this organisation, delivering services in a very different way to ensure that we are living within our means.”

Council leader Bill Revans confirmed that the young carers proposal would be removed, citing his own opposition to similar proposed cuts to the service before the unitary authority came into being.

He said: “I had to care for my late wife who had brain damage, and I would not have been able to do that without the support of my children, who kept me going through that time.

“I have seen many examples of young carers supporting their families. (This is) the right thing for those families.”