COUNTER-DEMONSTRATORS are planning to gatecrash an anti-cuts rally planned for Centenary Square this Saturday.

The original protest, against Government cuts to housing benefits for young adults, has been organised by Labour councillor Richard Dunbar (Thornton and Allerton), with Council leader Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe set to be one of the main speakers.

But foster carers, angry at Bradford Council’s own cuts to allowances for foster children, have accused Cllr Hinchcliffe of hypocrisy and are planning their own demonstration on the day.

One of the organisers, foster carer Jane Collins, said: “Bradford’s foster carers are shocked by the hypocrisy displayed by Susan Hinchcliffe and the Council Executive.

“If Cllr Hinchcliffe had genuine concerns about youth poverty then she would not have taken £1,820 per annum off of 16- to 18-year-old foster children.

“Bradford’s fees and allowance package was already the worst in the area when she rubber-stamped this proposal.

“I would receive £6,465 per annum more in Leeds and £7,860 more per annum in Calderdale.

“The drastic cuts in Bradford have made it impossible for foster carers to save money for their young people for when they move to independence and the resultant poverty which they will suffer is due to Cllr Hinchcliffe’s decision.”

Cllr Hinchcliffe urged the group to “focus their anger on where these cuts originate from”, saying local authorities would have no Government funding from 2020.

She said: “We dispute the figures used by this particular person.

“It’s sad if such an important issue is being hijacked. Every campaign group has the right to expect that they are able to have their own campaign day and have their voices heard.

“If another interest group want their own campaign day, they are within their rights to organise their own event.

“Local authorities are having all their funding from Government taken away by 2020.

“And as of April 1, 2017, the Government will not accept any new claims for housing benefit for young people aged 18 to 21.

“They will struggle to find somewhere to live, making homelessness a very real danger.

“People need to focus their anger on where these cuts originate from. It’s a choice by a Tory Government to stifle funding for vital public services and an increasing number of people are protesting.”

Ministers have said the change to housing benefits will stop young people from going straight from school onto benefits and insist safeguards will protect the most vulnerable.