Rachel Reeves MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting following Work and Pensions Orals in the House of Commons, said:

“Iain Duncan Smith’s denial over the extent of his Bedroom Tax loophole blunder is astonishing.

“Today he continued to insist to MPs that 5,000 people have been affected by the loophole. Yet the latest figures from a Freedom of Information request show that 194 out of 378 councils have said 21,523 people are affected, including 4,198 from Conservative-run authorities.

"While Iain Duncan Smith buries his head in the sand, his Bedroom Tax loophole threatens to cost taxpayers millions of pounds.”

A full spreadsheet of Bedroom Tax loophole Freedom of Information requests can be found here:

www.labour.org.uk/uploads/e097dcd8-ecaf-caf4-c94a-e28e6fea5c96.xlsx