'Bedroom tax' will bring fairness to housing benefit

The removal of the spare room subsidy is a necessary reform to return fairness to housing benefit. Even after the reform we pay over 80% of most claimants' housing benefit - but the taxpayer can no longer afford to pay for people to live in properties larger than they need. It is right that people contribute to these costs, just as private renters do.

It is just wrong to suggest the early stages of the policy - as people start to adjust to the changes - represent long-term trends in any way whatsoever. We are carefully monitoring the policy nationally ensuring the extra funds given to councils to support vulnerable tenants are used well as these changes are introduced.