Consumer 'Confusion' Threatens Net Zero Homes Plan

Government plans to decarbonise homes are too complicated and confusing, according to a coalition of consumer and industry groups. They've written to the prime minister to say that current schemes to adapt homes go wrong far too often. The open letter, from Citizens Advice and others, calls for more financial support for making changes. Otherwise, they argue, efforts to curb emissions from millions of homes in the UK will be at risk. Read more on the BBC website.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58320578 

Landlords Slam Citizens Advice Report As Irresponsible

A recent report by Citizens Advice which claimed that as many as 2.6m private renters have missed a rent payment, or expect to do so, owing to coronavirus is potentially a long way wide of the mark and irresponsible, according to the NRLA. The association say that Citizens Advice appears to have extrapolated this figure from just 25 renters who said in a survey that they are behind on their rent because of coronavirus and 74 who say they expect to be behind. This comes from a generalised survey of just 2,016 adults across the whole of the UK. Read more on the Property Reporter website.

https://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/landlords/landlords-slam-citizens-advice-report-as-irresponsible.html

Nearly Half Of Tenants Who Make Complaint Face 'Revenge Eviction'

Nearly half of all tenants who make a formal complaint about their housing suffer a “revenge eviction” by private landlords, according to research by Citizens Advice. It estimated that 141,000 tenants have been subject to “complain and you’re out” evictions since 2015. The evictions are possible because section 21 notices under the 1988 Housing Act allow landlords to force out tenants on a no-fault basis. Citizens Advice found that tenants who had received a section 21 notice were twice as likely to have complained to their landlord – and eight times more likely to have complained to an official redress scheme. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/aug/23/uk-rent-groups-deliver-petition-calling-for-ban-on-unfair-evictions

Hundreds Of Thousands Put Up With Unsafe Homes For Fear Of Eviction

A quarter of a million people are living in shoddy and unsafe homes without complaint for fear of being evicted, a new study has revealed. Research by Citizens Advice shows more than one-in-four private tenants who have experienced problems in England had not told their landlord in case they were hit with higher rents or notice to move. Repairs and maintenance were the most commons issues reported, including mould, electrical faults and pest infestations. Read more on the Huffington Post website.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/hundreds-of-thousands-put-up-with-unsafe-homes-for-fear-of-eviction-new-study-reveals_uk_5ad3349ee4b016a07e9d4e75

Universal Credit 'Flaws' Mean Thousands Will Be Worse Off

Thousands of self-employed, agency, and zero-hours contract workers will be potentially hundreds of pounds a year worse off under universal credit. Analysis by Citizens Advice claims that flaws in the new benefit mean self-employed workers whose earnings fluctuate monthly could receive far less over the course of a year than employees in “traditional” jobs who earn the same amount. Its analysis shows that a self-employed worker earning £9,750 a year would be £630 worse off under universal credit than an employee with an identical annual income but paid a regular monthly salary. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/apr/12/universal-credit-flaws-mean-thousands-will-be-worse-off

Charity Calls For End To Letting Fees For Tenants

All UK letting agency fees should be paid by landlords who can shop around, rather than tenants - as is the case in Scotland, Citizens Advice has said. The charity said that renters in much of the UK faced rising fees as they had no choice over the agent they dealt with after finding a house or flat. Landlords, on the other hand, were able to choose between agencies to act for them when renting out their property. A landlords' trade body said better regulation was a greater priority. Read more on the BBC website.

Half a Million Children Living In Unsafe Private Rented Homes

Rogue landlords are raking in £5.6billion a year for unsafe homes that fail to meet legal standards, a new report shows.  A Citizens Advice study reveals 740,000 households in England live in privately rented homes that present a severe threat to tenants' health. A Nation of Renters says these properties have category 1 hazards - the most serious of problems. These can include a host of dangers, such as: severe damp, rat infestations and risk of explosions. The latest available data shows these properties contain 510,000 children and 180,000 have a disabled person. Landlords are receiving £5.6bn a year on rent for homes with category 1 hazards, which includes £1.3bn of housing benefit. Read more on the Citizens Advice website.

Universal Credit Help Scheme Trialled

A scheme to help universal credit claimants pay their rent on time by making it easier to access money advice services is being trialled by the government. The DWP is piloting a new programme in four job centres, in which universal credit claimants undergoing an assessment about their ability to work are directed towards money advice if they are struggling with payments such as housing costs. The move is a response to low take-up of local financial advice services, which are provided by councils or Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB). These are currently signposted by a universal credit call centre if claimants are having difficulty managing their money. Under the pilot, the claimant has an interview of up to an hour long with a ‘work coach’ at their local job centre, who has the power to arrange a meeting between the claimant and their council or local CAB. Read more on Inside Housing.

Homelessness among Young People Up 57% in Last Five Years

The number of young people without a roof over their head has increased by 57% in the past five years, according to figures published by Citizens Advice. The national charity attributes the sharp rise in homelessness amongst 17 to 24-year-olds to the "horribly tough" economic downturn. Its figures show that 4,529 people asked for help during 2012/13, compared to 2,890 calls in 2007/08. Citizens Advice also reports a 39% increase in the number of young people seeking help over the possibility of losing their home during the same period. Read more on the Citizens Advice website.