Universal Credit Alert Briefing

Shelter analysis of the latest statistics showing that 5 million households now rely on housing benefit (Universal Credit housing element or legacy housing benefit) to pay their rent. This includes 2 million private renting households, 36% of all private renters in the UK.

With shortfalls opening up between the amount of support private renters can claim and rising rents, the government urgently needs to restore Local Housing Allowance (LHA) to cover at least the cheapest 30% of local rents and re-link LHA to the market so that support keeps up with the cost of renting.