Shelter responds to 'housing hole' in Autumn Statement

Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Shelter, said: “There is a housing hole in this budget - housing benefit remains frozen at 2020 levels when private rents have been rising at record rates. 

“Increasing Universal Credit will really help people struggling to pay their food and fuel bills, but crucially it doesn’t cover rents which are most people’s biggest outgoing. Unless housing benefit is increased, the shortfall with real rents will only grow - swallowing up other benefit increases. The boost to benefits will be built on quicksand.  

“The glimmer of hope for those at the sharp end of the housing emergency is the planned increase to the benefit cap. Raising the cap will put more money in the pockets of the hardest hit families. The government’s refusal to unfreeze housing benefit ignores the rental crisis that is unfolding, and means that homelessness will continue to rise this winter.”  

ENDS