2022 was a very difficult year for many people financially. Inflation increased hugely over the last 18 months and reached 10.7% excluding accommodation costs in November 2022. On top of that mortgage interest rates increased significantly and rents also increased over the year. All in all, 2022 put a massive squeeze on people’s finances and many of us found ourselves having real troubling balancing our monthly income and expenditure. According to data from the Government in the 3 months from April to June 2022 13,180 homes were put at risk of homelessness due to the ending of an Assured Shorthold tenancy. This was up 62.5% from the same time the year previously. By the end of 2022, according to new data, nearly 1 million people were at risk of being evicted from their homes and of those over 500,000 had been served an eviction notice and nearly 500,000 were already struggling to pay their rent and were in arrears.
Government support for those at risk of eviction
These statistics have not been pleasant reading for anyone and have not gone unnoticed by the Government. In December the minister for Housing and Homelessness, Felicity Buchan said “We understand that many people are struggling this winter and we are taking action to protect vulnerable families at risk of homelessness this Christmas. The increased support will make a real difference to those most at risk by helping them to pay their rents or find new homes.” as she announced a £50 million support package to help those struggling with rent payment and under threat of eviction. This £50 million is to be given to local councils to give them the flexibility to target additional financial support for those who are struggling most. This includes the ability to help pay off rent arrears, providing temporary accommodation, providing mediation services between landlords and tenants, paying deposits on new homes or supporting families in finding new homes if they are evicted.
This extra Government financial support is part of a £316 million package of support that was allocated to local councils in 2022 as part of the Homeless Prevention Grant and forms part of a wider £2 billion worth of support over the next three years with a further £654 million being announced for 2023 and 2024 in December.
Councils will be able to use this money flexibly and it will help them carry out their statutory duty to ensure that no family is left homeless.
What to do if you are struggling to pay your rent
Anyone who is in financial difficulty and struggling to pay rent which could cause them to be threatened with eviction or those who have already had eviction notices should contact their local councils to see what support they could receive. At the same time, we advise talking to your landlord or letting agent and explain the situation and your intention to seek help in this way. It is so important to keep communicating, we can’t help without it.
