The coalition government’s so-called “bedroom tax” will see more than 2,000 people in Bethnal Green and Bow lose an average of £728 each, it has been warned.

Rushanara Ali MP said figures from social housing umbrella organisation the National Housing Federation show 2,128 people in the constituency will lose out.

The tax means that from April working age people renting from councils or housing associations will lose up to a quarter of their housing benefit if officials decide they have more bedrooms than they need.

Ms Ali, who is the constituency’s MP, described the policy as “totally unfair”.

“David Cameron’s bedroom tax will hammer families who are struggling to make ends meet, and could actually risk costing local tax-payers a fortune in higher private rents and covering the cost of driving people out of their homes”, she added.

The tax is expected to hit a total of 660,000 people in the UK – with Labour claiming two thirds of them will be disabled.