Housing Benefit Increases to Match Rising Rents

The value of housing benefit awards has risen by 13% over five years to keep up with the pace of increasing rents, official statistics reveal. According to figures published by the DWP, the average value of a housing benefit claim in May this year was £95.07 per week, compared to £84.20 in 2010. The statistics suggest that housing benefit claims are creeping up in order to match the growing rents demanded by landlords. Generally, social landlords charge lower rents than private landlords. However, weekly rents in the social sector rose by 20% to an average of £88.42 over the last five years, while private rents dropped marginally to £108.82. Download the statistics from the DWP website.