Labour 'bedroom tax' repeal vow

Shadow communities and local government secretary Hilary Benn has defended Labour against accusations it plans to spend more on welfare to end bedroom tax.

"We have identified how we are going to pay for this, but we have also taken other decisions to do with welfare that show we are going to be tough," Mr Benn told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"For example saying that we would not reverse the changes in child benefit going to people earning more than £50,000 a year, that we would not pay the winter fuel payment to the wealthiest pensioners," he said.

Mr Benn said Labour's "jobs guarantee (says to) someone who has been unemployed for more than two years 'we will guarantee you a job, but in return you will have to take it or lose your benefits'".

Treasury minister Sajid Javid said Ed Miliband is "too weak to deliver" on his promise of being disciplined on borrowing after the Labour leader vowed to scrap the 'bedroom tax' if his party win the next election.

Click here for an in-depth look at the 'bedroom tax'

Read: How Labour plan to fund scrapping the 'bedroom' tax

Ed Miliband has vowed to scrap the 'bedroom tax' if Labour win the next General Election to end "hardship and unfairness for so many families".

The Labour leader has detailed how the party would intend to pay for repealing the spare room subsidy, saying a "bigger priority was not tax cuts for hedge funds but to end the hardship of the 'bedroom tax'".

What is the government's controversial 'bedroom tax'?

How Labour plans to fund scrapping the 'bedroom tax'

Ed Miliband is expected to tell the Labour party conference tomorrow that he plans to scrap the housing benefit change he calls the 'bedroom tax' by closing tax loopholes "for the privileged few."

Labour plan to repeal the spare room subsidy by:

• Reversing George Osborne's £150 million tax cut for hedge funds.
• Scrapping the Conservative party's "share for rights" scheme, which Labour claims has opened a tax loophole of up to £1 billion.

• Tackling tax scams in the construction industry, which Mr Miliband believes is costing £500 million in lost revenue.

Read more: 'Bedroom tax' arrears concerns

Watch: Tenants urge minister to think again about 'bedroom tax'

Labour leader Ed Miliband will pledge to repeal the controversial housing benefit reform known as the spare room subsidy - or the 'bedroom tax' - if his party win the next General Election in 2015.

But what is the 'bedroom tax'?

• Those living in social housing who are deemed to have a spare bedroom have been asked to downsize or they will face a cut in their benefits.
• The 'bedroom tax' is believed to affect 660,000 tenants across the country.

• The coalition have made this change in a bid to save money and help deal with the housing shortage by encouraging those in larger homes to downsize.

Click here for an in-depth look at the 'bedroom tax'

Ed Miliband has said he will scrap the controversial housing benefit change known by its critics as the 'bedroom tax' if Labour win the next General Election.

What is the government's controversial 'bedroom tax'?

The Labour leader is expected to tell his party conference in Brighton tomorrow that the spare room subsidy is "hated" and a "symbol of an out of touch, uncaring Tory government."

Labour will finance repealing the 'bedroom tax' by closing tax loopholes "for the privileged few", Mr Miliband will tell his party.

Watch: Tenants urge minister to think again about 'bedroom tax'

Ed Miliband is expected to call the housing benefit change nicknamed by critics as the 'bedroom tax' a "symbol of an out of touch, uncaring Tory government".

Speaking at the start of Labour's party conference in Brighton tomorrow, Mr Miliband is expected to say:

Read: Disabled child to lose her own room under 'bedroom tax'