A number of councils are preparing to seek a judicial review of the Government’s decision to cut local welfare assistance funding in April 2015, it is believed.
The Local Government Association and several of its members have called on ministers to reverse the cut and some authorities could now take legal action.
Councils came under criticism yesterday after it was revealed that £67m of £136m of local welfare assistance money had been left unspent and scores of families had been turned away.
Half of local authorities had spent less than 40% of their funds by the end of January.
But even Conservative councils have criticised the Government and stressed the importance of the fund in helping families in dire circumstances.
Leader of Tory-run West Sussex CC, Louise Goldsmith, said she was ‘disappointed’ that the Government was withdrawing the fund.
Visit The MJ (£) to read an opinion piece on this topic by Cllr Goldsmith.