Third of bedroom tax-hit tenants in arrears
- 04 Jun
Over a third of tenants affected by the bedroom tax are now in rent arrears reveals a survey.
The survey has been released by the National Federation of ALMOs, the Association of Retained Council Housing and the Councils with ALMOs Group found that 33.3% were in arrears, reports Inside Housing.
The survey had a response from 52 arm's-length management organisations and councils with a wide geographical split. It discovered regional variations with the southwest of England experiencing the highest proportion of households affected by the under-occupation penalty and in arrears with the northern region seeing the highest increase in the level of arrears for those affected by welfare reforms.
The survey also found that 12.6% of households were affected by the bedroom tax when it was first introduced but saw it decrease to 10.5% by the end of December 2013.
It was also revealed via the survey that there has been a significant rise in the number of landlords resorting to court action, 55% compared to just 2% when members were last surveyed in June 2013.
Alison Freeman, CWAG policy adviser said: "The striking regional differences highlighted by this survey give weight to calls for a more flexible approach, particularly in parts of the country where there is a shortage of smaller properties. For many in these areas, downsizing to a smaller property isn't an option. "
It examined the extent to which tenants were able to move to a smaller property and found that in the first nine months, only 4.6 per cent of tenants affected by welfare changes had moved to an alternative social housing, on average 13 per cent of those affected by the penalty have registered on the transfer list but not moved as yet and the majority, 60 per cent, choose to ‘pay and stay'.
What do you think of this? Tweet us your comments @suppsolutions
Related articles
- 02 Nov
THE ONS PLANS TO CHANGE THEIR DECISION TO MAKE HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS PUBLIC BODIES
According to reports by 24 Housing, the ONS said the following:Gavin Smart, Chartered Institute of Housing's deputy chief executive also said:"Although we have been expecting this decision for some...
- 30 Aug
RECENT ANALYSIS FINDS THAT THE HELP TO BUY SCHEME HAS ADDED TO THE INFLATION OF HOUSE PRICES
The analysis of the Help to Buy Scheme revealed the following:The chief executive of Paradigm Housing Group, Matthew Bailes, said:" ... clearly, it worked well for developers, and for providers, it...
- 22 Aug
A NORTH WALES COUNCIL REVEALED THEIR WAITING LIST FOR NEW HOMES HAS REACHED BREAKING POINT
The north Wales Council revealed their waiting list for new homes has reached "breaking point".According to Clare Budden, Flintshire Council's community enterprise chief officer said:"There are...
- 17 Aug
HOMELESSNESS POLICY IS UNDER REVIEW IN A NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL
Kettering Borough Council has amended its letters to homeless residents to let them know of their right to request a temporary accommodation review.According to an ombudsman, Michael King:"People in...
- 15 Aug
FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS HAVE CAUSED THE CLOSURE OF MANY CHILDREN AND YOUTH CENTRES
Local Government Association (LGA) made the following findings:Chair of the LGA's children and young people board, Richard Watts, said: "The reality is that services for the care and protection of...
- 11 Aug
RESIDENTS OF BUILDINGS IN LEDBURY ESTATE, SOUTHWARK, SOUTH LONDON WILL BE MOVED OUT TEMPORARILY
The buildings in Ledbury Estate in Southwark have been constructed in a similar way to Ronan Point, a tower block in Newham which collapsed in 1968 as a result of a gas explosion, killing three. An...
- 10 Aug
THERE IS A DECLINE IN THE HOUSING MARKET IN LONDON AND OTHER PARTS OF THE SOUTH EAST OF ENGLAND
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) made the following findings:Chief Economist at Rics, Simon Rubinsohn:"Sales activity in the housing market has been slipping in the recent month...
- 07 Aug
REPORT FINDS THAT PEOPLE ARE INTENSELY SUFFERING FROM LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOMES IN SCOTLAND
According to the report by "Shelter":Shelter's deputy director, Alison Watson, said:"This report shows the disproportionate impact of Scotland's housing crisis on young people and private renters who...
- 02 Aug
NEW REPORT BY THE PUBLIC ACCOUNT COMMITTEE IN WALES COMMENDS HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS
The report which was put together after nine months of inquiries stated the following:Nick Ramsey, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said:"Generally, we found governance and regulation within...
- 31 Jul
LONDON COUNCIL URGES THE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE MEASURES TO END LETTING FEES FOR PRIVATE RENTERS
The London council say urgent action is needed because the government has not provided "a clear timescale to introduce its own measure", Letting Agent Today, reports.Last year, the government had...
How to fund Housing Support and Social Care Services "Alot of information in a short time, good for me because I travelled a long way. So I feel the journey was worthwhile." C.T - People First Dorset
