Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg hinted on Friday that Westminster might agree to a Scottish government request that would effectively halt the hated bedroom tax north of the border.

Massive community, trade union and opposition party campaigning pushed Holyrood ministers to ask for the cap on discretionary payments — which councils use to support tens of thousands of affected tenants — to be lifted.

Mr Clegg told the Scottish Lib Dem conference in Aberdeen: “There is this limit — a cap in effect — on what councils can use which I think needs to be addressed, and we will be making an announcement about that shortly.”