Work Longer To Keep Spare Room, Says Pensions Minister

People facing a cut in housing benefit because they have a spare room in their council home could work more hours to keep it, the pension minister has said.  Lib Dem Steve Webb said about 100,000 council and social housing tenants with jobs could be hit by the new rules.  He told the BBC they could make up the shortfall by working longer - saying three hours a week would cover it.  Labour MP Michael McCann, an aide to shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne, said: "Steve Webb must have missed the last two years where his government drove the British economy into the ground.  He blithely tells those hit by the bedroom tax to work extra hours but two thirds are disabled and there are still more than 5 people chasing every job - extra shifts aren't easy to come by. They are staggeringly out of touch."  Read more on the BBC website.