Redcar’s Liberal Democrat MP Ian Swales has condemned Redcar and Cleveland Council’s failure to distribute government resources to those most in need.

From April 2013, administration of the Discretionary Social Fund was handed from the Department for Work and Pensions to local authorities.

Around £631,000 was made available to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to distribute amongst residents most in need of support.

After three quarters of the year, only £90,000 has been allocated by the Council. This evidence comes to light only weeks after it was revealed that the Labour Council has also considerably under spent their allocation of Discretionary Housing Payment.

Ian Swales MP commented:

“It’s appalling that this Labour council seems to be playing politics with something so important.

“The Coalition Government is providing support that the Council is not distributing.

“This is not the first case of Labour failing to distribute resources given by the Government for those in most need. But this is unbelievable! They are now actively making life harder for those least able to cope.”