Council Benefit Payment Delays Affect Half Of Tenants

Half (52 per cent) of private sector tenants on housing benefit have experienced delays over its payment from their local council, according to new research from the National Landlords Association (NLA). The figures, which are thought to affect approximately 3.3 million tenants, also show that in over a third (36 per cent) of those cases, tenants say that the delays have caused them problems with, or prevented them from, paying their rent on time. The news follows reports from housing charity Shelter who predicts that 80% of working English households claiming housing support will face a benefits shortfall as a result of government plans to freeze housing benefit for four years – announced in July’s Budget.  Read more on the NLA website.