Services to help people with learning disabilities into work have been granted a stay of execution after Sutton Council postponed plans to axe funding.

The authority had planned to cease paying for specially trained staff at Mencap this autumn, forcing dozens of people in the borough to use job centres to find employment instead, but has now extended the funding until March.

The charity last year received £185,000 from the council and currently works with 62 people in Sutton, helping them to live independently, land jobs, and find volunteering opportunities.

The Sutton Guardian reported in June how those affected reacted with “horror” at the prospect of the funding ending and expressed fears that job centres would not offer specialist support needed.

Michael Darby, whose 23-year-old autistic son Sam works alongside Sutton Mencap staff to gain skills said he was pleased to hear about the stay of execution but troubled about what would happen in March.

The 59-year-old said: “It’s a positive development after Sutton Council conducted their review of the service in June, however my concern is what happens after March 2017.

“My son may need to continue to need to use the service as well as other people with learning difficulties. He recently finished Project Search at Epsom and St Helier and the Royal Mencap have found work for some of those who were on that course, but Sam is not one of them.

“He will need to have some more training for interviews and even when he does get a job he will need to be supported. The thing is I’m clearly driven by my son, but there are lots of families with learning difficulties who use this service.

“They are also important because they vet businesses as some companies do exploit people with learning difficulties.

“To be fair to Sutton Council they do need to cut the budget by a considerable amount, but I think they saw this in purely financial ways. I think they should talk to families with people who have learning difficulties instead of looking at a spreadsheet.”

The council previously refused to reveal how much funding it paid Mencap this year, claiming the figure was "confidential".

A Sutton Council spokesman said: "Sutton Council has extended its contract with Royal Mencap until March 2017 as it continues to review supported employment and supported volunteering services across the borough.

“This further extension to Royal Mencap's contract will allow the review to complete and any recommendations to be implemented."