THE Labour candidate for Warrington South is urging voters to back the party or face a declining future for those seeking housing benefits after pointing to ‘shocking’ figures.

Nick Bent also claims that another Conservative led Government will cost the country an additional £9billion in social security benefits.

The Great Sankey resident noted figures from the House of Commons library, which revealed that the number of working people in Warrington, who have to claim housing benefits, has almost doubled since the last General Election.

Figures released last week showed that the number of overall claimants has risen by three per cent, but within that, the number of people in work has risen by 79 per cent.

"Warrington needs a stronger and fairer economic recovery with more high-skilled jobs and better wages so that working people don’t have to rely on a housing benefit, and that is what Labour’s plan for economic growth will deliver,” said Mr Bent.

His views were backed by Rachel Reeves MP, Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary, who warned of the potential huge cost to taxpayers.

“The choice at the General Election is clear: the Tories’ low wage, low skill economy driving up benefit bills and undermining tax revenues or Labour’s plan: a plan to help businesses create and fill more productive, high-skilled jobs,” she said.

“The Tories will leave us paying the bills of in-work poverty for years to come - only Labour will make work pay.”