'This is David versus Goliath': Lutterworth man hits out at experience with Leicestershire social services
A man has hit out at the experience he and his family have faced from council bosses over his disabled son’s social care support plan.
Keith Lewin, from Lutterworth, compared the situation with Leicestershire County Council to “David and Goliath”, saying it had been so bad he currently doesn’t have access to his son’s funds to help look after him.
Mr Lewin, whose 32-year old disabled son has a diagnosis of Down Syndrome, severe learning disability and autism, claims that since 2019, Leicestershire County Council began adopting a “restrictive stance” on his son’s personal budget, which he claims was reduced “to save money”.
Mr Lewin claims his son’s support plan – a plan usually tailored to the individual that outlines the care, help, and services a person needs to live safely and independently – is now “factually inaccurate”, having seen a real terms reduction of “approximately 50 per cent” since 2019.
He is far from happy with the reduction, saying funds are now not there to sufficiently look after the son. The family are looking to get the plan’s funding increased.
He said: “His health status has diminished, and his needs have increased over the last decade, as proven by medical records, therefore, how can he possibly require less support and funding?
“This is David versus Goliath. We are not seeking anything new or anything unreasonable, we are trying to secure the return of our son’s personal budget. This was a personal budget, which was based on thorough assessment and medical information.”
With his son’s budget “effectively halved”, Mr Lewin claimed that the family haven’t had any money credited to their personal budget accounts since June 2025, with the money instead sitting in a bank account that can only be used for things outlined in a service agreement.
However, he claimed social services haven’t told them which agreement they are referring to and are waiting for clarification from Leicestershire County Council, with the last unsigned personal budget dating to July 2023 and the last signed personal budget from 2017.
The family said they had to hire a solicitor, paid for by Mr Lewin’s wife cashing in her small pension pot, in a bid to secure an “overdue” annual review to look at increasing the funds.
That review, which had witnesses including Lutterworth East ward Councillor Martin Sarfas, took place last year, but the personal funds have not changed.
With no solution in sight to give the family the support plan funding back, Cllr Sarfas has called on council officials to act.
He told the county council: “This complaint needs to be dealt with immediately, because I am at the end of my tether, therefore, heaven knows how [the young person’s] parents must feel.”
The family are still looking to get the money back they feel is needed to help provide for their son’s care.
In response to the allegations, Leicestershire County Council said: “We always take concerns about a person’s care and support seriously. Funding provided through either a direct payment or commissioned service must be used for support set out in the agreed support plan.
“Whilst we don’t comment on individual cases, our focus is on ensuring appropriate support is in place to meet assessed needs.”