Rent arrears

The Social Security committee convenor Bob Doris MSP is correct when he says, “the rapid increase in rent arrears since the introduction of Universal Credit is unacceptable. The UK Government must take immediate steps to tackle this issue, which is costing local authorities and social landlords critical money when budgets are already stretched”.

In this case, it should not go unremarked that registered landlords in the private rented sector are also at a disadvantage when trying to recoup arrears from their tenants in receipt of rental benefit.

These tenants are, in fact, doubly disadvantaged by the DWP’S refusal to allow registered landlords in the private rented sector to access the DWP portal through which all awards are processed, in order to track their tenants’ applications and estimate, with any degree of accuracy, when their tenants might expect to receive their award, which of course will include an element for the paying of rent.

This is to no one’s advantage, not least the tenant. Since the introduction of Universal Credit in West Lothian and Falkirk a little over a year ago, the arrears owed to our private rented sector subsidiary, Weslo Property Management, have increased 500 per cent.

At a time when the Scottish Government is intent on improving conditions for the increasing number of citizens who are housed in this growing sector, the intransigence of the DWP and the resulting

discrimination against private rented sector tenants is unfortunate and unhelpful.

MIKE BRUCE Chief executive, Weslo Housing Management, North Bridge

Street, Bathgate