A GOVERNMENT minister has accused a leading Wirral councillor of “scaremongering” following his comments about the controversial bedroom tax.

Wirral West Tory MP and disabilities minister Esther McVey said Cllr George Davies was wrong to suggest the tax could lead to more homelessness across the borough.

Councillor Davies, council cabinet member for housing, says he stands by his comments.

The row centres around an article on the front page of the Globe this week in which Cllr Davies said he was expecting already record rises in Wirral homeless figures to spiral further as bedroom tax benefit cuts take hold.

According to cabinet documents to be discussed tomorrow, there were 165 cases of homelessness by the end of 2012 – an increase of 65% from the previous year  - while £126,500 was spent on emergency temporary accommodation for residents.

The Government's under-occupancy charge was introduced in April and means those living in social housing deemed too big for their needs see a percentage of their benefits taken away.

However Miss McVey said housing benefit needed to be changed to prevent the bills increasing.

She said: "I found Cllr George Davies’ words alarmist and scaremongering at the least.

“Over the last three years the Government’s contribution to discretionary housing payments for Wirral have more than tripled and almost doubled from last year - 2011/12 it was £282,981, by 2012/13 it rose to £522,238 and for 2013/14 it will be £917,214.

“The Government needed to reform housing benefit because it doubled under Labour and stood at £24bn in 2012/13, this is double the amount spent on policing in England and Wales.

"Left unreformed it would have increased to £24 billion by 2014/15.”

She added:"For Cllr Davies to make claims the Government’s spare room subsidy rules will add to homelessness is typical of Labour’s scare tactics and political posturing trying to deflect the blame from their own shortcomings.”

Councillor Davies said he stands by his comments.

He said: “The figures are there in black and white and I am not going to retract what I said in any shape or form.

“We’re already hearing of evictions - but we’re expecting it to really get serious within six months.”

Wirral TUC secretary Alec McFadden said he backs Cllr Davies’ comments and claimed his office is being forced to deal with social housing tenants who are considering taking their own lives due to financial stress.

He said: “I am told by our office staff that not a week goes by when there aren’t six or seven people calling up worried about the bedroom tax, expressing thoughts of suicide.

“Thankfully, there hasn’t been any such incidents in Wirral but we are sending staff to have special training from the Samaritans on how to deal with these concerns – that is how bad it has become.

“Esther McVey is out of touch with these situations and the reality is that this Government has discriminated against people living in social housing.”