Daniel died after being beaten and starved by his mother and stepfather
A council has said it is "impossible" to make savings in its children's social care budget because of a rise in demand following the death of a four-year-old boy in the city.
Daniel Pelka died in March 2012, after being starved and abused by his mother and her boyfriend.
Coventry City Council made the statement following a rise in referrals from 578 two years ago to 635 in 2013.
In September, a review found Daniel was "invisible" to authorities.
The council's budget report said it had aimed to make savings of £4m by 2014/15 in its children's social care budget.
However, it said it was now "considered impossible" to achieve the target saving as a result of higher numbers of referrals and caseloads.
It recommended that the council should axe the £4m target at a meeting later.
A council representative said: "There is no way those savings could now be realised. If you have a service experiencing increasing levels of demand, it's very difficult to make savings".
- Published17 January 2014
- Published17 September 2013
