27 February 2021 — London Renters Union

Thank you. As part of our ‘End the Rent Debt Crisis’ campaign, your financial support gave us the resource we needed to publish research which estimated that half a million private renter households relying on benefits didn’t receive enough money to cover their rent each month.

This week, there was confirmation from the Government of the scale of the problem.

They published new figures which show a shocking 715,326 private renters cannot cover the rent they owe with the amount of Universal Credit they receive.

Every month these renters are falling deeper and deeper into debt, putting them at serious risk of eviction and homelessness.

The Chancellor must now use next week’s Budget to act decisively to end this rent debt crisis.

But he needs a push. A big one!

Can you help again?

The Budget is on 3 March. Over the last four days of our campaign we need to swamp social media.

We need a final call to arms to our online supporters.

But this costs money.

Next week Rishi Sunak has the chance to bring peace of mind to renters who have been hit the hardest by the economic shock of the pandemic.

Renters like Jacqueline. Jacqueline had to wait five weeks for her first Universal Credit payment which meant she was immediately plunged into debt.

At the start of the pandemic Jacqueline was working for a care agency out in the community, ensuring that vulnerable people were being properly and well cared for in their homes.

The stress from the job, made worse by the PPE scandal, finally took its toll on her mental health in and, on the orders of her GP, she was medically signed off from work.

This led to Jacqueline having to apply for Universal Credit whilst also looking for another job, in what was and still is, a very difficult time.

The landlord knew about Jacqueline situation but was not remotely interested.

She was issued with a Section 21 ‘no fault’ eviction notice and the landlord has now applied to the court to have her evicted.

Jacqueline is now facing the reality of being made homeless and with nowhere to go.

We have four days to try and stop Rishi Sunak from dragging his feet.

There is a rent debt crisis. Help us end it.

Help us campaign for the hundreds and thousands of renters like Jacqueline struggling with rent debt and the threat of eviction.

Thank you for your continued support.

With best wishes and many thanks,

Alicia

Director, Generation Rent

P.S. If you can’t afford to donate at this time, and haven’t yet joined the thousands of our supporters who have written to their MP about the rent debt crisis – click here – and help us keep the pressure on.