Ed Miliband: Child benefit plans 'a shambles'

Labour leader Ed Miliband has called the government's policy of welfare reform a ''complete shambles'', as the Treasury has confirmed that higher rate tax payers will face fines if they refuse to disclose if they, or their partners, receive child benefit.

The benefit is to be stopped from 2013 if at least one parent earns over £44,000, but some experts have questioned whether this is workable.