Council Calls for Government Rethink On Rent

The government is coming under increasing pressure to cap rent increases for council tenants after local authorities warned that 8 per cent hikes are likely to affect the most vulnerable residents. Cambridge Council has written to the CLG urging it to adjust the formula that dictates how much councils should add on to tenants’ rents. The letter to CLG said that the proposed increases for 2012/13, which will be more than 8 per cent in many parts of the country, including Cambridge, could increase the housing benefit bill at a time when government policy is focused on moving people away from welfare dependency. Download a copy of the letter from the Defend Council Housing website.