Pay rent, eat or keep warm? Growing numbers face hard choices as housing benefit gap grows
Summary
Many low-income renters in the UK are struggling because the housing benefits they receive do not cover the full cost of their rent. This gap between rent and housing support means people must choose between paying rent, buying food, or heating their homes, with some forced to use food banks.Key Facts
- Laura Braddock, a single mother, pays £550 rent but gets only £425 in housing allowance, leaving a £125 shortfall.
- She and others often skip meals or reduce heating to cover rent costs.
- The Trussell Trust food bank network reports that 62% of renters receiving housing benefits have gone without food or heating recently.
- The average gap between rent and housing allowance for low-income renters is £158 per month, up to £324 in parts of London.
- The housing allowance rates (Local Housing Allowance or LHA) have not kept up with rising private rents.
- Trussell and other groups want the government to raise LHA to cover the cheapest 30% of local rents to help tens of thousands avoid severe hardship.
- This change is estimated to cost about £2 billion yearly and could help 105,000 people, including 40,000 children.
- The government fears increasing LHA might cause landlords to raise rents or tenants to move to more expensive homes.
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