THE UK Government has defended the controversial 'bedroom tax' after 3000 people took to the streets of Glasgow in protest at the new policy.

Conservative party chairman Grant Shapps said cutting benefits for social tenants with spare rooms is "common sense".

Churches, charities and campaign groups have criticised the biggest shake-up in 60 years of the system of State help, including the new under-occupancy rule, which take effect today.

But Mr Shapps insisted wide-ranging reforms were vital to tackle the UK deficit and would encourage people off benefits and into work, and help ease housing shortages.

From today about 660,000 families will lose an average of £14 a week in housing benefit. Ministers hope the move will save £500million a year.

About 3000 people marched to George Square on Saturday protesting at the cuts to housing benefit for those judged to have "spare bedrooms".

Protesters insisted the new UK Government policy would disproportionately affect disabled people and women, and could lead to evictions and deaths.

A spokesman for the Department For Work and Pensions said: "It's only right we bring fairness back to the system when, in Scotland alone, there are 188,000 households on waiting lists and 60,000 living in overcrowded homes.

"We are giving councils £150m this year in Discretionary Housing Payments so they can help their vulnerable tenants."

The rules affect those of working age, but foster carers and parents of Armed Forces servicemen and women are exempt, as are families with severely disabled children who are not able to share a room with a sibling.

Bill Scott, from disability campaign group Inclusion Scotland, said two-thirds of UK properties affected house a disabled person, rising to four-fifths in Scotland.

"The purpose of an equality impact assessment is to find out and then change your policy so it doesn't disproportionately impact on the vulnerable," he said.

"Instead, the UK Government went ahead and implemented that policy completely unchanged. It is a disgrace this Government chose to attack disabled people."

Work And Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith visited Scotland last week to explain the reasons for the reforms, but was branded a "ratbag" by a heckler.

The insult was adopted liberally at Saturday's march, with protesters wearing T-shirts and waving placards with the word "ratbag" superimposed over Mr Duncan Smith's face.

In a statement of support for the marchers, SNP MSP Linda Fabiani said: "The Scottish Government has brought in mitigation measures and has made a firm commitment to scrap the policy in an independent Scotland. SNP-led councils have committed to not evicting tenants affected by the bedroom tax."

Pamela Nash, Labour MP for Airdrie and Shotts, said: "My local authority, North Lanarkshire Council, has more than 5500 tenants affected by the bedroom tax, but as, of last month, only 26 one-bedroom houses (were) available for rent.

"The Government wants people to give up their 'spare' rooms, but they have nowhere else to go."

rebecca.gray@eveningtimes.co.uk