Alert Briefing: Universal Credit and Housing Benefit

New government figures show that 1.8 million private renting households claim housing benefit – but their benefit is frozen while rents soar.

668,000 more households claim housing benefit (including Universal Credit housing element and legacy Housing Benefit) than before the pandemic. The increase has been sharpest for private renters (up 32%) so that now a third of people in privately rented homes rely on benefits to may their rent.

To help avoid a wave of homelessness in 2022, the government urgently needs to restore Local Housing Allowance so that it reflects the real cost of renting.