Wednesday, 3 November 2010

More Than Half of Renters Cannot Absorb a Housing Benefit Cut

More than half of people renting - 49 per cent in private rented housing and 66 per cent in social housing - would face financial difficulties if their income fell, such as through a cut in housing benefit, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by the TUC and the Fabian Society. The figures show that the government's housing benefit cuts will not easily be absorbed by renters. YouGov found that 31% of private renters and 44% of social renters said that their income is normally about the same as spending; but if their income was to fall by say, 10%, that it would cause real difficulty. Of those surveyed, 18% of private renters and 22% of social renters said that they were already worried because their income was less than their expenditure. The survey revealed that 39% of private renters and 31% of social renters reported that the stress of maintaining their rent payments has affected their performance at work. Full results of the poll can be found on the TUC website.

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