LABOUR councillors have accused their Conservative and Lib Dem colleagues of failing to help vulnerable people in need, for the sake of £20,000.

This week a Labour push to get extra funding for the city’s advice services stumbled, leading to the accusation that ruling Conservative and Lib Dem councillors will put people at risk for the sake of a relatively small cash injection.

Citizens Advice York (CAY) has had to cut its regular advice sessions down from four days a week to two because of a loss of funding, but with the full roll out of new benefit Universal Credit now hitting people in York, Labour councillor Stuart Barnes said free advice on things like debt, rent and benefits it even more vital.

He asked the city council to look at putting in around £20,000 to reopen the two extra sessions for a year, proposing a motion at a full council meeting on Thursday night. However his proposal was amended by Lib Dem Cllr Ian Cuthbertson so although it shares concerns, it rows back from specific support for CAY.

Cllr Cuthbertson said extra support shouldn’t be restricted to CAY, and his party colleague Cllr Ann Reid said they wanted to open options up to other advice providers.

Cllr Barnes slammed that move as a “wrecking amendment” - saying CAY’s universal, city-wide service, would be the best way of reaching people worried about rent arrears and food bills.

He said: “For the sake of £20,000, you guys are willing to roll the dice and say we can probably come up with a better scheme.

"We will knock on every door and tell residents that for the sake of £20,000 this administration took the decision not to protect the full four-day drop-in service from Citizens Advice York, in citizens’ hour of need.”

The same meeting saw councillors back a call for better mental health services in York, and support another motion which said the city council should consider signing up to the Ethical Care Charter to ensure care workers are paid and trained properly, and are not forced to rush care visits.

Cllr Chris Cullwick said York needs a better deal on health funding in general, adding: “If physical health services are being put under further strain, what can we expect for mental health? The future doesn’t look good.”

The motion he proposed called for the authority of work with the NHS, and fight for people with mental health issues.

Cllr Danny Myers said: “Caring for vulnerable people is a difficult and demanding job.

"The people who do it should be paid adequately, they should receive the appropriate training, and they should ideally be assigned to regular clients so they can build relationships, being given the time to care.”