Scottish Labour has pledged to put party politics aside and work with the SNP to protect social housing tenants from the impact of the so-called bedroom tax.
A triple-pronged approach saw shadow finance secretary Iain Gray call for a £50 million fund to be set up to cover the costs of those who have fallen into rent arrears as a direct result of the spare room subsidy.
Meanwhile, shadow secretary for welfare Jackie Baillie will bring forward a members’ bill proposing an amendment to housing legislation to stop social tenants being evicted.
All Labour councils have also pledged to keep a “no-eviction” policy, already employed by SNP local authorities.
Mr Gray said: “The financial impact of the bedroom tax on Scottish tenants is £50m. That is less than 0.18% of the Scottish Government budget, a fraction of last year’s underspend.
“But the wider impact is huge 80,000 households are affected, many with children, many of them including someone with a disability.
“There are no smaller houses for them to move to.
“Meanwhile councils and housing associations face the prospect of soaring rent arrears, threatening cuts to other council services and undermining housing associations’ ability to borrow and build.”
A spokesman for Scotland’s Finance Secretary, John Swinney, said: “Labour also cannot hide from their obligation to say exactly where they want to cut money from in order to fund their proposals what do they think should be axed to pay for it?”