Proposed cuts to services in Norfolk could be headed off after the government announced an emergency bailout, amid warnings more councils could effectively go bankrupt.
Leaders at Norfolk County Council welcomed the announcement by local government secretary Michael Gove that councils would get an extra £500m to deal with pressures on adult social care and children's services budgets.
While Conservative-controlled County Hall has yet to learn just how much it will get after the government's unusual step, leaders hope it could mean it can row back on some of the £52m of savings it had proposed to plug a budget gap.
Just last week, leaders unveiled potential cuts, including shutting Norfolk's tips on Wednesdays and bringing in booking slots for people wanting to get rid of rubbish - to save £400,000 a year.
The council also proposed changes to care costs for people with disabilities to save £1.2m, by reducing the minimum income guarantee.
That is an amount of their income disabled people aged 18 to 64 can keep for everyday expenses after the cost of council-arranged home care is taken into account - effectively making people pay more for their care.
Andrew Jamieson, the council's deputy leader, welcomed the extra money, but said it was too soon to say what it means for next year's budget.
Brian Watkins, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group, said: " We are grateful for whatever help may come our way, however insufficient it might be.
"But this is yet another sticking plaster, so it is important councils keep lobbying for multi-year settlements."
Steve Morphew, leader of the Labour group, said he hoped it would mean the plan to reduce the minimum income guarantee for disabled people would be abandoned.
He said: "Any extra money is welcome but yet again it is too little, one-off and comes too late.
"The cynic in me knows this money is about the impending general election rather than concern for local services for vulnerable people.
"It will fix nothing, though hopefully, it will mean the end of the proposed cut in the minimum income guarantee, which would be so damaging for vulnerable people.
"And maybe the council will drop the plans to close tips one day a week, that could increase fly tipping."
The government's announcement came after a number of councils effectively declared bankruptcy.
Forty Conservative MPs, including four from Norfolk and Waveney, had written to the government urging extra cash.
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