Covid rent debt crisis will escalate unless UC cut is reversed

A £360 million wall of rent debt built up during the pandemic, combined with cuts to Universal Credit, threatens to leave hundreds of thousands of tenants facing long-term housing insecurity and problem debt.

New analysis by StepChange shows that 558,000 Universal Credit claimants in Covid rent arrears – including private and social renters – say the planned cut means they will struggle to pay existing rent debts over the next 12 months.

The polling shows how the government’s planned £20 per week cut to Universal Credit threatens to escalate entrenched difficulties caused by the crisis and exacerbate a two-speed recovery. As many as 225,000 private renters now expect to lose their homes due to not being able to keep up with rents and many see no way out of entrenched pandemic-related difficulties.

StepChange is warning that unless the government changes tack on Universal Credit and delivers an urgent package of targeted support, many private renters face long-term housing insecurity, and prolonged debt harm. This includes the threat of court action, long-term housing insecurity, homelessness and eviction.

Phil Andrew, chief executive of StepChange Debt Charity, said: "For 18 months, renters have been at the sharp end of the pandemic. Sadly these figures show a huge number of people worried about how they will keep up with their rent. While the end of restrictions will allow some get back to their feet, thousands are still facing a mountain of rent debt they are unable to address alone.

"The government’s own research shows that private renters have been hardest hit by the pandemic, and that numbers in rent arrears have more than doubled since March 2020. Covid support schemes, while a lifeline for many, haven’t been able to help renters address their arrears and with cuts to Universal Credit and the end of furlough imminent, there is a real danger of thousands losing their homes.

"That’s why StepChange is calling for a dedicated financial support to help ensure renters can safely wind down Covid rent debts and keep their homes. By establishing a dedicated rent debt fund, and by scrapping the planned Universal Credit cut, the government can avert the threat of a rise in evictions, problem debt and homelessness that will compound financial and social problems and hamper economic recovery."