[michael21]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24182448

Labour has said it will reverse controversial changes to housing benefit if it wins the next election.

Ed Miliband said the reduction of support for social tenants in England, Scotland and Wales deemed to have surplus bedrooms was unfair.

Critics of the shake-up have dubbed it a "bedroom tax" but ministers said they are tackling "spare room subsidies" not available in the private sector.

Labour said it would fund the change by blocking tax cuts for businesses.

The announcement comes with the Labour Party conference about to start in Brighton.

'Wrong, iniquitous and not working'
Since April, social housing tenants with spare rooms have either had to pay more in rent or move somewhere smaller.

For months Labour has argued the change is wrong, unfair and penalises disabled people in particular, but had not committed itself to reverse the policy should it gain power after the election.

But Mr Miliband has now said the change would be paid for by scrapping a tax break for hedge funds and the Treasury's new shares-for-rights scheme.

The Labour leader said the benefit change was "wrong, iniquitous and was not working". He told the BBC that two-thirds of those affected were disabled and would struggle to find anywhere else to live.

"We are serving notice that we will end the 'bedroom tax'," he said.

The BBC's political correspondent Ben Wright said the move will cheer Labour's rank and file and please critics within the party who say it urgently needs clear policies.

But the Treasury claims Labour's figures fail to add up and that this policy would be funded by a tax on pensions and more borrowing.

"Labour's first policy commitment, after three years of waiting, is more spending on housing benefit, funded by a tax on pensions and more borrowing," said Treasury Minister Sajid Javid.

"Despite promising 'discipline' on borrowing, Ed Miliband has shown he is too weak to deliver."

The government insists the £23bn a year housing benefit bill must come down, and will press Labour to explain how it would do that.

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