Tenants risk homes to pay for Christmas
Around 280,000 people in Scotland could be risking their homes to pay for Christmas, according to research.
A survey carried out by Yougov for Shelter Scotland shows one in 12 tenants expect to miss rent payments to fund the cost of Christmas. This is equivalent to 83,690 people.
The survey also shows one in 14 homeowners north of the border, around 196,000 people, are considering taking a break from their mortgage payments to pay for their festive gifts and celebrations.
Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, urged people to think carefully before delaying rent or mortgage payments and to phone the charity’s helpline if they are having trouble meeting their housing costs.
Mr Brown said: ‘Too many people are risking their homes by missing or delaying rent and mortgage payments.
‘With Christmas just around the corner, many can feel pressured to spend money they simply don’t have. Combined with the existing daily struggle and misery felt by thousands of families, the cost of the festive period could lead some to breaking point.
‘The cost of housing is putting increasing pressure on day to day finances and forcing some families to ultimately risk their homes in order to pay for Christmas. As Scotland begins to feel the full impact of savage cuts to jobs and housing benefits, and as more people face even greater debt, the perfect storm is brewing for a rise in homelessness.’
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Readers' comments (13)
Narra | 12/12/2011 8:53 am
Nice to see good prioritising. I hear they can get these good pay day loans as well. Yes, I know, standard retoric about if they weren't so expensive they wouldn't need to do these things, but people have a choice, and if it were me, I'd much rather people have roofs over their heads during the winter and expensive presents.
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Venk Shenoi | 12/12/2011 9:41 am
Absolutely Narra - choices - no need to keep up appearances - Christmas is here and gone tomorrow but payday loans and missing mortgage payments - misery thereafter.
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F451 | 12/12/2011 9:48 am
I'm rather hoping that this year will see real Christmas returning and the conusmerist binge and orgy take a back seat - but then the elite will not be happy if that were to happen so I'm sure temptation will become maximised.
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C MCHUGH | 12/12/2011 10:07 am
I worked in this sector for 26 years...knowing tenants couldn't muster up the rent payments we gave them 2 free weeks at the end of the year....( well the rent was calculated over 50 weeks ) this was a huge success ....and no legal action necessary at a time of goodwill ...
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Daedalus | 12/12/2011 10:39 am
Stupid is as stupid does - Forrest Gump seems to sum up this one!
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UnaPlanner | 12/12/2011 3:36 pm
Next I expect some cheeky poster will suggest rent arrears will go through the roof if minmum alchohol pricing is introduced........
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Godzilla's Banana | 12/12/2011 11:51 pm
From their sample, they estimate one in 14 cannot afford rent and xmas. As rent is every month until eviction or death and xmas is once a year, there's a certain logic to skipping one payment and making it up later. Besides, what on earth is the problem here when councils can russle up billions for special projects on which they never consult the public and pay their Execs. hundreds of thousands in salaries, aside from all the private dealing in public assets and the commeserate rewards. Why are we influenced by a press owned by the banksters and serving as a politically correct mouthpiece to pilliorise the sorely disenfranchised by nothing short of arch criminals? There has to be a sense of perspective out there, somewhere.
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LifeStyle | 13/12/2011 7:39 am
@ C Mcgugh ...I have always thought that your practice for rent free weeks was the best thing in the interest of tenants, Christmas is an annual celebration time for families etc so why do ALL Land lords not make this association and give the rent free weeks around this time? Instead of spending excessive amounts of money on producing posters which says "your rent comes first" or something in that guise each Christmas, where is the cost effectiveness in that?
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LifeStyle | 13/12/2011 7:41 am
*C McHugh* correction to spelling
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Rick Campbell | 13/12/2011 10:48 am
Of course rent comes first -- and paying over 50 (or in my case 48 weeks) weeks does not produce 'free weeks', it produces rent free weeks (we have 1 at the end of the year [financial and calendar] and 1 at the the beginning of the year [financial and calendar]).
I can imagine the Xmas Card -- "Happy Xmas and if you don't pay the rent we'll evict you".
Yes, there will be those who will risk their tenancies -- after all, there are some stupid and blinkered tenants -- just as there are posters to IH.
BAH, humbug!!!
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