Launching a campaign against cuts to housing benefit, they want ministers to ensure carers, disabled tenants and serving armed forces personnel would not be affected.

From next month, tenants deemed to have a spare bedroom will lose 14% of their housing benefit and those with two rooms 25% as part of UK Government welfare reforms.

Margaret Curran, the Labour Shadow Scottish Secretary, said: "There is a strong feeling among the people in the housing sector we have been listening to that the SNP could be doing more to help Scottish families who are weeks away from being hit with a tax they can't afford."

SNP MSPs accused Labour of "hypocrisy," claiming the party south of the Border supported the bedroom tax where people turned down a move to a smaller home. Linda Fabiani said: "Labour say one thing in Scotland, and the opposite in London – where the decision to impose the bedroom tax was made."