Bedroom tax activists filled the public gallery of Glasgow City Council’s chambers yesterday to demand answers about cash reserves meant for tenants.

SNP ministers have pledged to cover arrears arising from slashed housing benefits out of the Scottish government’s next budget, telling local authorities to distribute “discretionary housing payments” in the meantime.

But Scottish Anti-Bedroom Tax Federation secretary Gail Morrow said the fightback had suffered from a lack of clear instruction to councils. 

Some had already committed funding to wipe out individual arrears in full while others had reduced the application process for discretionary housing payments to simply signing a pre-filled form or taking a phone call.

She said: “Glasgow City Council has done absolutely nothing to help out its most vulnerable tenants and it is time that changed and the councillors begin to pro-actively do everything they can to help, including some creative budgeting while they wait for funding to arrive from the Scottish government.”

Glasgow City Council’s press office did not respond to requests for comment.