Holyrood committee launches inquiry into whether benefits system works for tenants in rented housing

Edinburgh tenements - Image credit: Sandy Gemmill/Wikimedia Commons

A Holyrood committee has launched an inquiry into whether the current benefits system is working for tenants in rented housing in Scotland.

After hearing concerns that renters are being failed by the welfare system, the Scottish Parliament’s Social Security Committee will look into the impact of changes to support and how they have affected people’s ability to access affordable private rented housing and social housing.

Among the key issues it will look at are the rollout of Universal Credit and caps on the Local Housing Allowance.

The committee will look at how changes to the Local Housing Allowance have affected the private rented sector, and particularly the affordability of rents for young people.

The MSPs also want to find out how the administration of Universal Credit has affected the ability of tenants to pay their rent and of landlords to administer rent payments and to what extent welfare reform has changed private landlords’ willingness to let to people in receipt of benefits

Convener of the Social Security Committee Bob Doris said: “We constantly hear about pressures on social housing, increasing rates of rent arrears and the need to do more to tackle homelessness.

“The private rented sector has an important role to play to ease some of these pressures and our committee wishes to establish to what extent the social security system assists or lets down those in need of private rented accommodation in Scotland.

“This committee wants to know what more needs to be done.

“We will also be investigating the impact of transferring housing payments for those previously on housing benefit into the Universal Credit system.

“With Citizens Advice Scotland reporting a 40 per cent surge in those seeking help for rent arrears following Universal Credit roll out, our inquiry is timely.

“We wish to know what the impact has been on tenants, councils and housing associations; as well as the private rented sector.

 “Whether you are a tenant or landlord, irrespective of whether it’s the private or socially rented sector, I would urge you to get in touch and tell the committee about your experience of the social security system.”