News

Kent Council rejected a government deal last week and is pushing ahead with plans to go to court to win full reimbursement for asylum services costs.

The government offered to pay £7.1m of the £14.8m in back payments the council claims it is owed by the Home Office last week - but only on the condition that the council dropped its plans for legal action. The council rejected the deal.

Nick Chard, Kent's cabinet member for finance, said that some of the back payments went back three years. The council claims that costs incurred for asylum services are a national issue and should not be paid for by local taxpayers.

A Home Office spokesperson said that work was being done to work out "outstanding discrepancies" and that the government hoped to resolve the outstanding claim soon.