Quarter Of Private-Renting Families Slipping Into 'Bad Debt'

One in four families renting homes in England is falling into hundreds of pounds of “bad debt” due to the cost of moving house, new findings show. Having to pay letting fees, removal van hires, cleaning costs and other requirements that come with moving properties has seen thousands of families taking out debt in the form of credit cards, overdraft, bank loans or payday loans, according to a report by housing charity Shelter. A total of 255,944 private renting families took on such debt the last time they moved, with the cost of moving home amounting to an average of £1,619 across England – and reaching £1,707 in London. Read more on the Independent website.

Families Renting Privately Twice As Likely To Have Moved In The Last Year

Almost one in five of London’s privately renting families have moved in the last 12 months, new figures highlighted by the National Housing Federation have shown. By contrast, only 6% of all other families have done the same. The figures, released as part of the Federation’s 100,000 Affordable Homes for London campaign, show how the capital’s housing crisis is affecting children. The campaign is calling on the next mayor to commit to tackling the problem and take up housing associations’ offer to build 100,000 new affordable homes. The last census saw the number of families living in the private rented sector in London shoot up by 156% to 251,000. Read more on the NHF website.

Renters Are 'Forced To Borrow Money To Pay For Moves'

London’s army of renters are being forced to move home with increasing frequency, putting a strain on jobs, finances and family life, new research has revealed. Four in 10 have changed home three or more times in the past five years, according to a study commissioned by housing charity Shelter. Around 650,000 private renters in London have been forced to borrow money to pay for a move, or have fallen behind on other commitments because of the costs of moving. Others report that their children suffered stress or that they had to change their working hours. Read more on the Evening Standard website.

Only 'Small Number' Of Benefit Capped Tenants Have Moved House

Only a ‘small number’ of tenants hit by the benefit cap have responded by moving house, a think tank report has said. Analysis of benefit cap numbers released by the DWP by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said how claimants were adjusting ‘remained an open question’. It found evidence of moving house only among ‘the small number of claimants who lost particularly large amounts of benefit income as a result of the cap’. Among those who lost more than £200, 14% of those capped in May 2010 and 20% of those capped in May 2013 moved within a year. For the rest, the level of moves was around 11%. Read more on the IFS website.

Pay the Jobless to Move House to Find Work

The idea has been drawn up by the Centre for Social Justice think tank, set up by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith. The jobless would be given financial help to move house to find work under a plan to tackle long-term unemployment. Anyone out of work for more than a year would be given cash by their local council to cover the costs of hiring a removals van or paying a deposit on a home. Under the proposal, the long-term unemployed would be given money if they land a job which is more than 90 minutes’ commute from where they live. The CSJ argues that people living on benefits in social housing are much less likely to be in work, and less likely to move to find a job. Read more on the Daily Mail website.