Welfare Reforms Fail To Reduce Cost of Renting

Private rents in England are rising by almost £300 a year despite government assurances that welfare reforms would drive down the cost of renting, a study has found. Analysis of Valuation Office Agency data by housing charity Shelter has shown rents rose an average of 2.8 per cent from 2011 to 2012, with some areas seeing increases of more than 14 per cent. The 2.8 per cent rise is equivalent to £297 on average, in a year when average wages did not rise.  The government has repeatedly claimed private rents are falling in real terms, using figures from the English Housing Survey that show rents are rising less quickly than inflation. Read more on the Shelter website.