99 eviction applications

ALMOST 100 claims were lodged by landlords to evict residents in the summer – more than a 100 per cent increase on previous figures – prompting a charity to claim that homelessness figures will rise in the winter months.

Statistics from the Ministry of Justice shows there were 99 claims to repossess properties in Barnsley between July and September.

They were lodged by mortgage lenders and landlords during the cost-ofliving crisis.

Of those, ten were for homes owned by mortgage holders, whilst the rest were to evict tenants.

It means there were 52 more claims in the last quarter than over the same period in 2021 when 47 were submitted – more than a 110 per cent increase. Despite the rise in claims, there were still fewer bids to remove people from their homes than in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic – 128 claims were lodged between July and September that year.

Polly Neate, housing charity Shelter’s chief executive, has accused the government of ignoring an ‘unfolding crisis’ in the rental market.

It comes after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement revealed little help for private tenants despite prices rising rapidly.

She said: “There is a housing hole in this budget – housing benefit remains frozen at 2020 levels when private rents have been rising at record rates.

“Unless housing benefit is increased, the shortfall with real rents will only grow swallowing up other benefit increases.

“The government’s refusal to unfreeze housing benefit ignores the rental crisis that is unfolding, and means that homelessness will continue to rise this winter.”