THE Government has trebled the amount of cash it gives to Bolton to help vulnerable people pay their rent or tax.

But the move has been dismissed as “a slap in the face” by the town’s Labour chiefs, as tenants prepare for the impact of so-called “bedroom tax”.

Bolton Council has been awarded £623,659 for the coming financial year to fund Discretionary Housing Payments, which can be claimed by people who qualify for housing or council tax benefits but are having trouble paying their rent or tax bills.

The grant is awarded annually and last year the council received £200,000. It is not ringfenced and could be used to help people who are struggling because of the new under-occupancy charge — dubbed the “bedroom tax” — which will see people on housing benefit have money deducted if they are deemed to be in housing too big for their needs.

The Bolton figure is almost double that awarded to Blackburn with Darwen, which was given £376,643, while Bury was awarded £324,003.

Wigan will receive £456,084, and Preston £246,193.

The cash has been welcomed by the borough’s Conservative leaders but dismissed by Labour as “a sop”.

Cllr Andy Morgan, the Bolton Conservative group’s deputy leader, said: “Any monetary assistance towards discretionary housing payments from Government to deal with any shortfalls to changes in the system is very welcome.

“It’s a pity the Labour executive is not as quick to highlight the positives from Government as it is the negatives when it is of benefit to the town.”

Bedroom tax is due to come into force on April 1 and will affect about 660,000 households nationally, including 3,500 in Bolton, who will lose a combined total of more than £2 million-a-year and an average of £12 per week.

Labour’s Nick Peel, Bolton Council’s executive cabinet member for environment, regulatory services and skills, said: “It’s a sop to try to placate the protesters.

“The Government know this bedroom tax is a terrible idea and it’s causing problems. When you consider people in Bolton are losing more than £2 million a year, £600,000 is a slap in the face.”