Fife MP Gordon Brown has branded the so-called bedroom tax “offensive, onerous and unfair”.
In a hard-hitting report sent to Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith this week, Mr Brown has called for the controversial policy to be postponed.
The Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP has also discussed the matter with Mr Duncan Smith at a recent meeting amid revelations that the tax would affect 1,200 of his constituents.
The cuts, due to come into effect in April, will see a reduction in housing benefits of between 14% and 25% for people deemed by the Government to have more bedrooms than required.
Unless people are willing to move, those considered to have one room too many could lose 14% of their benefit, which could amount to more than £10 per week.
Those with two bedrooms too many could lose 25%, or more than £20 a week.
However, Mr Brown’s report claims there is a lack of one-bedroom accommodation in Fife’s social sector.
“In many areas this mismatch could mean there are insufficient properties to enable tenants to move,” he said.
Cases highlighted by the MP include a couple with one child occupying athree-bedroom Fife Council property with a rent of £64.31 per week.
Because they are considered only to need two bedrooms, they would have their housing benefit reduced by £9 per week (14%).
He also spoke of a single parent with two sons under the age of 15 in a three-bedroom housing association property.
Their rent is £81.07 but would see their housing benefit cut by £11.35 per week (14%) as they are deemed to require just two bedrooms for their family.
If this house was occupied by a single person, they would have their benefit reduced by £20.27 (25%) as they would only require one bedroom.
Mr Brown is supporting a council hotline to help people through the changes.
He has urged constituents to apply for discretionary payments to tide them over.
He said: “These cuts are offensive, onerous, unfair, arbitrary and should be postponed.”
cwarrender@thecourier.co.uk