Iain Duncan Smith warns Government not to cut family counselling funding that reduces poverty

The first sign of a potential rebellion ahead of this year’s budget has emerged after a former cabinet minister demanded the Government protect family counselling from cuts.

Ex-pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith accused officials of planning a raid on the funding, which he said would be a “retrograde step” that risked increasing poverty in the UK.

Mr Duncan Smith claimed counselling is a service “not much understood, or even cared about” by people forming opinion and taking decisions.

Writing for the grassroots ConHome website, he said it had been successful at keeping families together, adding that the consequences of failing to do so “are enormous in terms of its effect on the wellbeing of the nation”.

He went on: “Yet as we run towards the budget, I am told that the Government is reviewing this commitment, with civil servants tasked with drawing up plans to cut the existing funding going to marriage guidance and other relationship counselling.

“I strongly believe this would be a retrograde step as the already damaging effects of family breakdown would only get worse without such support.”

Since early 2016, the former Tory leader’s views have been at the forefront of other rows between the Tory leadership and Conservative backbenchers, including those over cuts to disability benefits and the Universal Credit – though as a minister since 2010 he oversaw deep cuts to welfare himself.

Mr Duncan Smith said that following reports of officials planning cuts to the funding, he is “worried that we may be about to head in the wrong direction.

“This is why I urge my colleagues that instead of looking to reduce such investment in this budget, we should look to increase the reach of such services, for the wellbeing not just of those families directly affected but of the whole country.”

A Government spokesperson said: “Mounting evidence shows the damaging effect parental conflict has on children, which is why we remain committed to supporting parents, whether separated or not, to work together.”

His intervention comes ahead of Chancellor Philip Hammond’s budget later this year in which he will set out how he will continue his drive to reduce the deficit, despite a number of new constraints.

Mr Hammond must reduce spending despite being forced to find money extra money for Northern Ireland to ensure the unionist DUP party keep its promise to vote with the Government, which lacks a majority in the House of Commons since the election.

He has also dropped plans for changes to the National Insurance Contributions system and to scrap the pensions triple lock and other items of welfare spending, which could have freed up money for him to play with.