Statistics published by the Department of Work and Pensions today announced that the number of people claiming housing benefit as of May 2013 was 5,072,264. The number claiming the benefit in April was 5,062,172, meaning there were 10,092 new claimants over the period of a month.
Year on year, housing benefit claims rose by 40,526, as in May 2012 the number of people claiming was 5,031,738.
Social landlords are raising their rents for benefit tenants above those charged by private landlords. The difference is a gap of 14%, says new data.
Produced by the organisers of the annual Resi conference, they say it has been extrapolated from the Government’s own figures and shows that contrary to widespread condemnation, private landlords who take tenants on Local Housing Allowance are not the ones pushing up the housing benefits bill.
A landlord who pleaded guilty to a total of 75 Housing Act offences has been ordered to pay nearly £40,000.
In terms of numbers of offences, it was the largest prosecution in the history of the local authority concerned, Redbridge Council in Greater London.
Buy-to-let landlords are handing over more money to the taxman.
HMRC’s take from landlords in income tax on their rental income in 2010/11 was up 13% on the previous tax year.
Tenants on benefits are showing increasing signs of desperation as they search for private landlords who will accept them.
There are the first signs of a possible tipping point in the rental market, with LSL today reporting that the number of tenants is dropping as first-time buyer numbers rise.
Greater powers for local councils to crack down on bad landlords, a legal requirement to include landlords’ contact details in all tenancy agreements, faster evictions, and a cultural shift towards longer tenancies have been recommended in this morning’s major report into the private rented sector.
The Communities and Local Government select committee makes no fewer than 47 recommendations covering a wide range of issues from Houses in Multiple Occupation to selective licensing schemes.
Chancellor George Osborne is considering lowering the benefits cap by a further £6,000, one of his aides confirmed today.
The Treasury will base a decision on whether to make the further cut depending on the effectiveness of the current benefit cap, which began its national roll-out on Monday, in reducing the welfare bill.
Hounslow Council has launched a new incentive for landlords to help local families at risk of becoming homeless.
The scheme includes offering up to £1,000 for landlords to house tenants needing a home, and grants of up to £15,000 for improvement works.
The government's total weekly benefit cap has begun rolling out across Britain.
Single parents and couples aged 16 to 24 will now only be able to claim a total of £500 a week in benefits, whilst people living alone will be capped at £350.