Shelter’s
latest report has revealed that 1.3 million households are under mental
and emotional strain caused by financial difficulties.
Landlords are also finding the going tough, with more than 40 per cent
either struggling sometimes or in constant financial difficulty. Some
are even questioning their future in the PRS which could give tenants
even more to worry about if their landlords decide to sell.
Shelter and MAT commissioned YouGov to survey 745 tenants on household
incomes below £20,000 (£25,000 in London) and 440 landlords from the
National Landlord’s Association to review the impact of the recession
across the PRS.
Since similar research was carried out in 2006, the numbers of struggling households has increased by 56 per cent.
60 per cent of tenants receiving housing benefit receive less than the
cost of their rent, with almost a quarter making up a difference of
more than £49 per week.
Kay Boycott, director of policy and campaigns at Shelter, said: “This
research paints a depressing picture of the daily battle faced by
tenants at the lower end of the private rented sector, with many barely
able to keep their heads above water.
"While we welcome the help that’s available for homeowners in arrears,
private tenants who are struggling to keep their homes should not be
forgotten. The government must recognise the significant role the
private rented sector is playing in bearing the brunt of this recession
by increasing funding for advice and support services, and setting out
a long-term vision for the sector.”
Meanwhile, the Bank Of England is announcing that people with
mortgages are "now £130 better off" thanks to falling interest rates
and lower mortgage payments. Set against the estimated £13,800 the bank
bail-out has cost every person in Britain, not to mention the
ridiculously over inflated price of the house and mortgage in the first
place, one is tempted to rush out and spend it all on lager and cheap
wine.
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