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At least half a million renters in COVID-19 arrears, charities say
Chancellor Rishi Sunak must provide a financial package in the Spring Budget to help private renters impacted by the pandemic, a coalition of charities and membership groups has said.
The groups warned that at least half a million renters are in arrears due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a number facing the prospect of homelessness without state support.
A joint statement by The Big Issue’s Ride Out Recession Alliance, Crisis, Citizens Advice, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Money Advice Trust, The Mortgage Works, the National Residential Landlords Association, Nationwide Building Society, Property Mark, Step Change and Shelter said that measures taken to date do not go far enough.
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The coalition called for a “targeted financial package to help renters pay off arrears built since lockdown measures started in March last year”, which they said would help sustain existing tenancies and keep renters in their homes.
On Sunday the government moved to extend the ban on bailiff-led evictions until 31 March, but charities have warned that tenants can still be sent eviction notices.
The groups also urged the government to cancel the freeze on housing benefit rates due to begin in April.
The statement said: “The pandemic has shown how vital [the welfare system] is to providing security at a time of crisis. The government increased Universal Credit and housing benefit because it recognised that the system was not doing enough to support people in the first place, yet it has chosen to freeze housing benefit rates again from April and is considering cutting Universal Credit at the same time.
“It cannot be right that these measures could be pulled away from renters during continued economic uncertainty.”
A government spokesperson said: “We’ve put households at the heart of our decision-making throughout the pandemic, with a £280bn package keeping millions in work, temporarily bolstering the welfare safety net by more than £1,000 a year for families, and backing businesses with loans and grants.
“We’re supporting renters by extending notice periods and banning bailiff enforcement of evictions for all but the most serious cases. Councils can also provide additional help through the £180m Discretionary Housing Scheme.”
Update at 15:05pm, 18.02.21:
This story was updated to include a response from the government.
