21st
Dec 2020
The Citizens Advice charity is calling on the government to make tenants in rental arrears their top priority to help victims who have fallen on hard times because of Covid-19.
The charity urges the government to implement a system of grants and government backed loans in England, currently introduced in Scotland and Wales, so as “to help people pay back their rent arrears sustainably and stay in their homes.”
It states that one in seven people are struggling to pay essential bills which include rent because of the pandemic.
The charity commissioned a survey conducted by ICM Unlimited with 6,004 people that found 60% of respondents with children under 18 have had to drastically cut down their non-essential and regular spending to make sure their children do not suffer.
Citizens Advice’s research highlights that certain groups have been affected most by Covid.
People who were furloughed, black and ethnic minority groups, parents and carers are in all probability the most financially hit by the pandemic.
28% of this group, twice the UK average, have fallen behind with rent or other essential bills.
The research also claims that 62% of the wider population wants the government to help victims because of the lockdown restrictions to pay back their debts.
Acting chief executive Alistair Cromwell says: “We agree with the British public that people shouldn’t be left on their own to sink or swim.
“It has become increasingly clear that, despite the government’s best efforts to protect incomes, a growing number of people have fallen into debt because of the coronavirus pandemic. Some groups, notably ethnic minorities, parents and carers, and those furloughed, are suffering more than most.
“The government has taken strong action to try to protect people from the worst of the immediate economic shock. Now they need a clear plan to protect people from the damaging consequences of long-term debt, and help strengthen the economic recovery."
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