COUNCIL bosses have rejected a call to increase cash available to help tenants struggling with rent if their benefit has been cut.

The UK Government allocated Glasgow £3m this year in Discretionary Housing Payments to help with people in hardship from the 'bedroom tax'.

The council said the amount is not enough to meet demand for help and the shortfall in the city is still likely to be £7m.

The council has told the UK Government it is opposed to the 'bedroom tax'.

Councillor Billy McAllister, SNP deputy group leader, said he has asked the council to put extra cash into the DHP fund to allow more tenants access to help.

The £3m from the government can be added to by the council by as much as £4.5m if it can find additional funds from its own budget.

Mr McAllister wrote to the council's chief executive, George Black, asking for the council to fund the maximum limit by which it can top up the fund.

He said: "While we have limited abilities to fight this tax, we must do everything in our power to help the most vulnerable in our city.

"The council has drafted a new policy to deal with Discretionary Housing Payments and we welcome this new step.

"The UK Government has provided £3,000,000 in support, but the council can top this up with up to another £4,500,000.

"While we don't have the powers to repeal this regressive tax, we have to stand together and do what we can to help the people as we fight to remove this terrible tax on people's homes and families."

In the first three months of the bedroom tax, Glasgow City Council received more than 8000 applications for Discretionary Housing Payments and paid out on 4180, totalling £439,250.

The council has said it anticipated a rise in applications and has made payments in line with council policy and the individual circumstances.

The average payment has been for around £11 a week.

The council said it will continue to look at ways to help tenants affected by the bedroom tax, but will not be adding to the DHP fund.

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "The policy for discretionary housing payments, which included the extent of the annual budget for the scheme, was agreed by the council's executive committee in April this year.

"At that time councillors also agreed that the council work with the UK Government, Scottish Government and social landlords to identify actions to mitigate the impact of the spare room subsidy. We continue to work with partners to look for a long term solution to this issue."