A senior councillor has said Haringey Borough Council would love to protect benefit claimants from the effects of welfare reform but it simply cannot afford to do so.

Joe Goldberg, the cabinet member for finance, made the comments following a deputation by Haringey Alliance for Benefit Justice at a full council meeting on Monday, July 15.

The group, which campaigns for against benefit cuts, wants the Labour-run authority to do more to help the borough’s poorest people.

Cllr Goldberg said: “These welfare policies were on nobody's manifesto during the last general election but they are being pushed on the poorest and most vulnerable people by the Government.

“It cannot be that the council is able to pick up every bill that the Government puts on us – I would love to find the money but I can’t."

The group had organised a demonstration which took place outside the Civic Centre, in High Road, Wood Green, before the full council meeting.

At the meeting, the Reverend Paul Nicolson, who was representing the campaigners, had accused the authority of being silent on issues which affect the poorest in the borough.

He called on the council to take steps to protect benefit claimants, including designating tower block homes as one-bedroom, making them exempt from bedroom tax and pressuring private landlords to reduce the rent they charge.

Cllr Goldberg added: “The solutions you are proposing could cost us several million pounds and they are simply not sustainable in a world where we are facing a 50 to 60 per cent cut to the budgets of local authorities.”

Rev Nicolson said: “There are 26,000 people on benefits in the borough and with rising rent on top of the benefits cap and the bedroom tax lots of people are going to find it difficult to cope.

“I want the council to publicly challenge the Government's policy and support those campaigning against benefit cuts and bedroom tax.

“We don’t understand why the council has been practically silent on these dreadful issues that affect so many of your fellow Haringey citizens.”