Councils to be given £2m relief as cuts come in

The Government has been forced to put aside an extra 10m to deal with problems when benefits are cut in April as part of the coalition's plans to slash the welfare bill, with a total pot of 130m over four years.

More than 25,000 claimants across West Yorkshire will lose out when the reforms capping the amounts individual families can receive in housing benefit are introduced.

Critics claim it could force families onto the streets but the Government insists it is not fair for people on benefits to be housed in areas hard-working families cannot afford to live in.

Welfare Minister Lord Freud said the Government was striking "the right balance that is both fair to the taxpayer and those on housing benefit".