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Councils have denied more than 1,600 pleas for financial help from disabled people hit by the bedroom tax.
A freedom of information request showed that 49 councils had rejected 1,637 applications for discretionary housing payments (DHPs), which councils can pay out to cover any shortfalls in housing benefit caused by Con-Dem cuts.
But the true number of rejections is much higher because 154 councils said they do not record the data.
The findings uphold arguments by lawyers fighting for disabled people in the courts that the bedroom tax unlawfully discriminates against them.
Court of Appeal judges threw out the claims in February on the basis of DHPs.
Lawyers are awaiting a decision by the Supreme Court to accept a further challenge.
Anne McMurdie of Public Law Solicitors represents three of the five disabled claimants.
She told the Morning Star: “DHPs are not a satisfactory alternative to help meet housing benefit shortfalls.
“It sounds obvious but discretionary payments are discretionary, which means they can even be denied to those who meet the criteria.”
