CENTRAL Government is facing renewed pressure from politicians to act on the social care crisis – and it has been accused of 'short-changing the people of Warrington'.

Warrington North MP Helen Jones is calling for the Government to 'take the blame' over adult social care.

Speaking at question time in the House of Commons, the Labour politician said the Local Government Finance Act 2012 'divorced local government funding from any assessment of need'.

And she told Tory minister Rishi Sunak that the problem could not be resolved by allowing local authorities to raise council tax.

She added: "The Government has created a dysfunctional system in which the wealthiest councils can raise more money from the same rise in council tax than the poorest authorities, yet poorer authorities have higher levels of long-term disease and disability.

"At the same time, councils in the poorest areas have seen the greatest cuts to their funding.

"It is not good enough for the minister to say that the Government will reform the system so that it can adequately take account of need.

"They were warned when the 2012 Act was passed that what they were doing would lead to a crisis in adult social care but they ignored that warning.

"They need to take responsibility and admit their mistakes."

Cllr Jean Carter, executive board member for children's services, has joined cabinet members across the north west in signing a letter to Chancellor Philip Hammond to request additional funds 'needed to address the growing crisis' in children's social care.

The letter says: "The demand and the complexity of cases is increasing, creating overspends in our children's services budgets, at the same time that our council budgets are being reduced.

"This is an unsustainable financial demand for each of our councils.

"As the Finance Bill makes its way through Parliament, we are asking the Government to respond to the crisis of children's social care and provide adequate funding to meet these needs."

During Monday's executive board meeting at the Town Hall, Cllr Hans Mundry, executive board member for highways, transportation and public realm, hit out at those in power.

He said: "The Government is short-changing the people of Warrington – the people of Warrington that have to pick up the Government shortfall."

Council leader Cllr Terry O'Neill added: "It is about time the Government realised it can't keep having a go at the public sector."