Benefits change hurts tenants

Some £4,164 is secretly owed per person, according to the Money Advice Service.

This is on top of known debts such as mortgages, car finance and joint credit cards.

Experts said it can fuel relationship breakdown, alcoholism or even suicide.

Caroline Siarkiewicz, of government-backed body MAS, said: “Sometimes it can be easier to pretend everything is all right as we want to shelter those Percentage of people concealing debts from family, partner or pals COUNCIL house tenants on Universal Credit owe an average of two-and-ahalf times as much in unpaid rent as claimants still on old benefits.

Town hall chiefs are struggling to cope with the welfare overhaul, which now sees housing benefit paid to tenants rather than to landlords.

Council tenants on UC owe on average £663 in rent – around two and

Y VTell us what you think: yourvoice@mirror.co.uk a half times the amount owed by those still on housing benefit – £262, according to BBC’s Panorama.

In 2011, Professor Paul Hickman, of Sheffield Hallam University, was asked by the government to look at the effects of paying claimants directly.

He found 8% of tenants paid rent in full. He said: “Were we ignored?”

■ Panorama, BBC1 at 7.30pm tonight.