Gap between benefits and rent left me facing eviction, mum says

Rubie Walsh, who asked for her face not to be shown, said housing benefit payments were not enough

The rising cost of living could leave a woman and her son homeless after repeated hikes in her rent have left her facing eviction, she has said.

Rubie Walsh, 28, said she and her 10-year-old were facing eviction after her monthly rent rose to £1,000, £350 more than she receives in housing benefits.

The Stockport mother said she was "just skint every single month", adding: "I struggle to put food in cupboards."

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said support was available.

Ms Walsh moved into her privately-rented house in 2015 when the rent was £650, but told BBC Radio Manchester financial pressures had increased because housing benefits payments had not risen with market rates.

"I struggle with gas and electric," she said.

"Every bit of money I do get, I try to spend it on my son.

"He just grows out of school clothes rapidly."

She said the increase in monthly rent to £1,000 in October was "the last straw".

"I can't find the shortfall," she said.

"I'm waiting for court orders to leave the house."

The government said the allowance increase would see average renters "around £800 a year better off"

She said she had "to stay put", because if she left, the local council "won't help me as I would be classed as intentionally homeless".

"I have to wait until the bailiffs come and bang on the door," she said.

"We could end up staying in a hotel in Glossop or Altrincham, which would be very unsettling."

There has been no suggestion Ms Walsh's landlord has done anything wrong and it is understood they have set rent costs within the market rate.

The Local Housing Allowance (LHA), which is used to calculate benefit payments for tenants who rent from private landlords, is based on the local market rate.

In Stockport, that rate is currently £650 a month for a two-bedroom house.

However, because it has been frozen for the last four years, that figure has slipped behind the market rate.

LHA for a two-bedroom property in Stockport will rise to £750 a month in April, but that will still be £250 below the monthly figure Ms Walsh pays.

She said she believes the stress she has experienced contributed to a stroke she suffered in December.

The government said the allowance increase would see average renters "around £800 a year better off" and was part of a £104bn package to help the most vulnerable.

Mims Davies, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the DWP, said the government was "making it better for renters and those on benefits so they can focus on thriving and not trying to make ends meet".

The minister, who said she has visited Stockport, said people needed to be aware of the Household Support Fund, as there was "a lot more support than people think".