£9bn Housing Benefit To Private Landlords Is 'Madness'

David Orr has branded a doubling of housing benefit paid to private landlords over 10 years as ‘madness’, as he renews calls for more flexibility for associations. The NHF has published an analysis of government figures on housing benefit claimants. It calculates the number of housing benefit claimants living in the private rented sector has increased 42% to 1.5m over the 10 years to February 2016. This compares to a 4% increase in social sector claimants over the same period. Private landlords received £9.3bn in housing benefit last year, more than double the £4.6bn in 2006. The research also shows it costs £21 a week more to house a family in a private rented sector home than in a social home. It also found 47% of all private renters claiming housing benefit are in work, up from 26% six years ago. Download the briefing from the NHF website.