Housing benefit banned by majority of rental properties in Kettering and Wellingborough, despite being unlawful

A Judge said blanket bans on people with housing benefit was unlawful
There are not many properties available for benefit claimants, analysis showsThere are not many properties available for benefit claimants, analysis shows
There are not many properties available for benefit claimants, analysis shows

A majority of rental properties available in Kettering and Wellingborough say they will not accept housing benefit.

The news comes after a judge ruled in July that blanket bans on benefit claimants are unlawful and discriminatory.

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Analysis by the BBC of rental listings on the website OpenRent showed all 20 available properties in Kettering said "No DSS".

DSS stands for Department of Social Security, which was replaced in 2001 by the Department for Work but DSS is still used to refer to benefits claimants.

In Kettering, renters with pets, smokers and students were all more likely to be accepted by landlords than those on benefits. Seven of the available properties would have accepted pets, while none would allow DSS.

In Wellingborough, there were also 20 rental listings on OpenRent and just six said "DSS income accepted", meaning 70 per cent of available rents would not be an option for benefit claimants.

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There was no data available for Corby and East Northants because areas with less than five listings on OpenRent were not included in analysis.

Polly Neate, chief executive of the housing charity Shelter, said: "No DSS discrimination is outdated, grossly unfair - and it's unlawful under the Equality Act, as our recent landmark legal victory confirms.

"This is because it overwhelmingly prevents women and disabled people, who are more likely to need support paying their rent, from finding a safe home.

"Last month's ruling should be a wake-up call for landlords and letting agents to clean up their act and treat all renters equally."

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A spokesman for the Equality and Human Rights Commission said: "These figures show that there is still some way to go before we can truly end the discrimination against women and disabled people who claim benefits.

"The recent ruling will go a long way to ensure all renters’ rights are equal, regardless of their life situation or background.

"If landlords and estate agents don’t change their policies and practices, they will be at risk of claims of discrimination from would be tenants."

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) said it had always advised landlords not to blanket ban benefit claimants.

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Deputy director for policy and research, John Stewart, said there were a variety of factors for why landlords might not accept benefit claimants including complaints about universal credit payment delays causing rent arrears.

The NRLA reported in August 2019 that 54 per cent of landlords saw tenants on benefits fall into arrears in the past year.

Mr Stewart said issue with rent arrears also meant "banks and insurers saw benefit claimants as higher risk" and some mortgage agreements block renting to claimants and insurance premiums can be higher.

Continuing to block benefit claimants might "become more of an issue if the unemployment rates rise at the end of the furlough scheme," Mr Stewart said.

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The founder of OpenRent, Adam Hyslop, said: "We want to be clear that we fully support Shelter’s efforts to eliminate blanket bans and are pleased that there now appears to be legal precedent around these."

In the past year, more than 25,000 properties have been let through OpenRent to benefit claimants, more than any other agent.

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