A former Trafford Council welfare rights adviser has launched an Employment Tribunal claim alleging he was unfairly dismissed after raising concerns about the legality of the authority’s council tax reduction scheme.
Alex Jolley, who worked as a Benefits Advice Officer for almost a decade, claims he was dismissed for whistleblowing after repeatedly warning managers that Trafford Council’s 2025-26 Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) was unlawful before referring affected residents to specialist lawyers when, he says, his concerns were not addressed internally.
Represented by law firm Leigh Day, Mr Jolley alleges the scheme incorrectly calculated entitlement for some Universal Credit claimants by effectively double counting certain forms of income, potentially affecting thousands of residents, including disabled people and families caring for disabled children.
According to the claim, Mr Jolley first raised his concerns through internal channels before helping residents obtain independent legal advice because of the time limits for bringing a judicial review.
In September 2025, the High Court ruled that Trafford Council’s 2025-26 Council Tax Reduction Scheme was unlawful and quashed it, requiring the authority to revert to the previous year’s arrangements while a lawful replacement was introduced.
Mr Jolley alleges he was suspended in April 2025 after assisting residents to seek specialist legal advice and was subsequently subjected to disciplinary proceedings before being dismissed for gross misconduct in January 2026.
His Employment Tribunal claim argues he made protected disclosures under whistleblowing legislation and that his suspension and dismissal amounted to unlawful retaliation for raising concerns about the scheme. The claim also states that the High Court judgment vindicated the issues he had raised and that his actions were consistent with Trafford Council’s own Poverty Strategy.
Trafford Council has not yet responded publicly to the Employment Tribunal claim. Employment Tribunal proceedings are ongoing, and the allegations made by Mr Jolley have not yet been determined by the tribunal.
Alex is represented by Ryan Bradshaw, human rights partner at Leigh Day.
Alex said: ‘Throughout my career my priority has always been ensuring vulnerable residents receive the support they are legally entitled to. As a welfare rights adviser, that is both my professional responsibility and my personal commitment.
‘When I became concerned that Trafford’s council tax reduction scheme was operating unlawfully and disadvantaging residents, I raised those concerns internally. When those concerns were not addressed, I believed I had a duty to ensure affected residents could obtain independent legal advice before the opportunity to challenge the scheme expired.
‘The High Court ultimately found that the scheme was unlawful. Despite that, I was suspended and later dismissed. I believe I was punished for doing what my role required me to do - acting in the best interests of residents and raising concerns about unlawful conduct.’
Ryan said: ‘This claim raises important issues about the protection afforded to employees who raise concerns about unlawful conduct in the course of their work. As a dedicated public servant Alex repeatedly attempted to raise his concerns internally before seeking external legal advice on behalf of residents. The appearance that he has been dismissed for seeking to ensure thousands of Trafford residents were not disadvantaged by an unlawful policy is incredibly troubling.
‘The law is clear that workers should not be subjected to disciplinary action or dismissal because they make protected disclosures in the public interest. Alex’s case will seek to ensure this important law is upheld.’
Photo: RosZie
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