During this week’s telephone surgery, several residents raised concerns that single mothers were being denied housing in the private rental sector because they receive housing benefit.
While this is not unfortunately a new issue, it is nonetheless very concerning given the stress it causes single mothers, who in my experience are among the most financially reliable – particularly if they do receive housing benefit, which actually brings an additional layer of financial stability.
If any of you have experienced this or know someone who has, please do get in touch with me at [email protected].
I’ll be raising the issue with Ministers from the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Housing, who I know are already looking at how best to use existing powers to prevent this kind of discrimination by landlords.
