A COUPLE who had a home purpose-built to suit a disability have told how they are trapped by the 'bedroom tax'.

Angela and Eddie McHugh waited seven years for a suitable home after Mr McHugh lost a leg following a workplace accident when he fell from a ladder.

He was trapped in his home because he couldn't get up the stairs to the family's upper cottage flat in Easterhouse.

After the long wait, ­Ardenglen Housing Association allocated them a purpose-built four-bedroom home in a new-build development to house the couple and their three children and meet his disability needs.

Now, as one grown-up child has moved out, the Department for Work and Pensions decided they only needed two bedrooms as their two children still at home are both under 10, and they were to be hit with a 25% cut in housing benefit.

After an appeal they were allowed a 'spare' room for overnight stays to help with care for Mr McHugh, but still faced a 14% cut for the one extra room, costing the couple more than £40 a month.

Mrs McHugh told of the family's plight at a launch of a joint campaign against the bedroom tax in Glasgow.

Tenants groups, trade unions and housing associations have united to oppose the welfare reforms and are planning a mass demonstration in Glasgow next month to coincide with the Liberal Democrat UK conference in the city.

Mrs McHugh said the family is trapped once again and is being pushed into financial hardship as a result.

She said: "They say we only need one bedroom for the children, one for us and have allowed one for carers to stay, so we have one too many, because my eldest moved out.

"But we can't move because this house was built specially for my husband's needs.

"He was having to crawl up the stairs, so ended up not going out, until we got this house.

"Now we need to find an extra £43 a month to cover the extra rent.

"We already pay half the rent as we don't qualify for full housing benefit, so other things have to be cut.

"So, it means less money for food shopping and for the children's clothes."

Mrs McHugh was made redundant from her job five years ago and is now her husband's carer.

She backed the campaign to, 'Bin the Bedroom Tax, launched in Gorbals.

Other tenants told of their intention to fight to have the policy scrapped and urged others to join.

Ian McInness, of the Scottish Tenants Organisation, said: " To claim this bedroom tax is an effort to free up homes to stop overcrowding is a joke.

"They are attacking the poorest people for having an extra small room. It is an attack on working class people."

Linda Cameron, a tenant of Provanhall Housing ­Association, said: "I want the Government to understand this affects whole communities.

"It affects the economy of the area as people can't ­afford to spend money on shopping and can't afford to feed and clothe their families properly.

"They are destroying communities and the government must listen to what people are telling them."

The campaign has the backing of the STUC, which said many of its members were expected to implement the policy and deal with the consequences.

Dave Moxham, STUC General secretary, said: "I anticipate thousands of trade unionists will join this demonstration, because some of the people affected are also workers being asked to deal with it.

"But it is far wider than that. It is about the all out ideological attack on housing this represents.

"If they don't stop this tax, they will be presented with small housing providers being put at risk."

Housing officials said the policy, which cuts housing benefit by 14% for one spare room and by 25% for two or more, is not going to save the country money as promised by the UK Government.

Dr Colleen Rowan, of the Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations, said: "The bedroom tax is already having a negative impact in communities across the country and is driving more people into poverty.

"The great paradox is that there is now a serious danger that it could end up costing the country millions of pounds as tenants are forced to go homeless or move to the private rented sector."

The campaign is organising a demonstration on September 14 when the LibDems hold their ­annual UK conference at the SECC.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will be in ­attendance along with other UK Coalition ministers including business Secretary, Vince Cable and Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander

The campaigners are calling on the LibDems to withdraw their support for the bedroom tax.