Council Tenants Hit By Bedroom Tax as Arrears Rise

New research by three housing bodies representing over 1.3m council households has revealed rising numbers of tenants in arrears and a significant rise in the level of rent owed, since the introduction of the bedroom tax. The findings are the result of a joint research project from the National Federation of ALMOs (NFA), the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) and the Councils with ALMOs Group (CWAG), into the impact of welfare reforms on council tenants.  In the three month period March to June 2013, the number of council households in arrears rose by 21 per cent. Based on the trends identified by the survey this indicates that nationally local authority rent arrears rose by £17.5 million in the first 3 months after the implementation of the government’s welfare reform agenda in social housing.  Download a copy of the report from the ARCH website.