The Government may be taken to court by a Brighton man angered by a cut in his elderly mother's housing benefit.

Angry William Hardy wants to take the Goverment to court to challenge the formula used to assess housing benefit payments when the claimant has savings.

His mother, Annie Hardy who lives in Carden Avenue in Patcham, receives £45.90 a week from Brighton and Hove Council.

Mr Hardy says this would be more if it was not for national benefit rules which require local councils to make their assessments based on personal savings.

Mrs Hardy has savings of £8,700 and under the existing formula the council has to assume this is equal to an income of £23 a week which cuts her benefit..

Her son, William, of Overhill Drive, in Patcham said there was no way in which the money could be invested to get a return of that size.

He said: "I intend to take this as far as I can and am looking at whether this is a matter for the European Court."

Council benefits manager Sarah Axon said: "I fully appreciate it is not possible to invest £8,700 and receive an income of £23 a week as this equates to an interest rate of 22 per cent.

"However until or unless the law is changed, we will have to continue using this formula which in no ways reflects the real income from investments."

Brighton Pavilion MP David Lepper has taken up the case with the Government on behalf of Mr Hardy and his mother.

Under the existing formula, the amouint of housing benefit payable by local authorities is gradually reduced where the claimant has savings of between £3,000 and £16,000.

The Government says the formula is not affected by changing interest rates and was not intended to represent any actual rate of return.