Shelter highlights 125.5% increase in number of people claiming benefits
Shelter have highlighted Office for National Statistics figures for workforce data showing the number of people claiming employment related benefits reaching 2.8 million in May. This is a 125.5% rise since March and includes those employed with low income or hours and those who are unemployed.
More than 600,000 people droped off the payroll in May compared to March 2020 (a fall of 2.1%) according to the latest HMRC Pay As You Earn Real Time Information.
People who lose their jobs will struggle to find new positions as the data suggests a decrease of approximately 60% in job vacancies for May compared with March 2020.
ONS data confirms Department of Work and Pensions figures that showing a 40% rise in people applying for Universal Credit in April 2020. This takes the total number of new UC claims to 1.2 million since the start of lockdown.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Figures warn of hundreds of thousands losing their jobs. Many of them will be private renters living in the least secure homes.
“While the evictions ban is providing some temporary respite, it isn’t stopping renters who’ve lost income from amassing home-threatening debts. Worse yet, with Universal Credit too low to pay average rents, those same renters are met with gaping holes in the government’s safety net. We speak to families every day who can’t keep the wolf from the door.
“Without more support, tens of thousands of renters are facing the very real prospect of homelessness when the evictions ban ends. To defuse this ticking time bomb, the government must increase benefit levels, so they cover average rents. It also needs to change the law to protect renters by giving judges the power to stop people automatically losing their homes due to rent arrears.”
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Benefit Cap - lifted for 9 months?
Member Since November 2016 - Comments: 227
11:51 AM, 26th June 2020, About 6 years ago
Perhaps Ms Neat could offer to use some of Shelter’s £60,000,000+ annual income to help?
Member Since July 2015 - Comments: 393
12:30 PM, 26th June 2020, About 6 years ago
Well, duh! Maybe Shelter need to spend some of their lobbying budget on persuading the government to end the lockdown, get people back to work and stop the daft, unscientific rules that prevent businesses from operating at full capacity. Oh, and they could spend some money on guaranteeing rents for those whose livelihoods have been destroyed.
Member Since May 2016 - Comments: 116
2:27 PM, 26th June 2020, About 6 years ago
Couldn’t agree more Kathy. My cynicism just makes me think that this has all been planned long in advance. It just seems too synchronistic that they have lobbied to make it against the law to deny DSS outright on tenant applications, and here we are with mass society joining the DSS.
May I suggest this is a worthy cause – http://www.keepbritianfree.com
No conspiracy theorists, actual legal team with an actual case headed by a UK entrepreneur.
Member Since June 2013 - Comments: 3237 - Articles: 81
3:14 PM, 26th June 2020, About 6 years ago
Good on Shelter to ask for more benefit levels.
But why is Shelter calling for people to stop being evicted for rent arrears? If u don’t pay for something, how can u have that something? We can’t keep walking out a shop without paying for the Mars Bar day after day otherwise we get barred, or the shop goes bust. And there will be then no Mars bars.
Has Shelter got a plan to pay the mortgage & the costs of which Shelter has called for some, to be paid if no rent comes in to pay for them?
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 26
3:38 PM, 26th June 2020, About 6 years ago
It takes months and costs thousands of pounds to evict someone
for rent arrears. There’s nothing “automatic” about it at all.
Member Since December 2015 - Comments: 259
5:03 PM, 26th June 2020, About 6 years ago
The usual and tedious inflammatory rhetoric from Polly with her biased ignorance.
Replace renter with mortgagor and the same applies.
Benefit officials have told the BBC they fear that as much as £1.5bn may have been lost in fraudulent claims for Universal Credit in recent weeks.
I wonder how much debt has been foisted onto landlords during Covid and why appropriation of their private properties is considered acceptable.
Member Since June 2013 - Comments: 3237 - Articles: 81
5:13 PM, 26th June 2020, About 6 years ago
Eh & I’m hearing lot of this fraud is cause UC won’t engaged with the Landlord & ask the Landlord the rent proof, How much rent, Any arrears etc. At that point, some fraudulent claims may be stopped. But u carry on DWP UC excluding the important Landlord in your process.