Our campaign was invited to speak at a recent meeting of the National Pensioners Convention; Gloucester, Avon & Somerset region. They agreed to support our Statement against 10 years of above inflation rent increases and ‘rent convergence’, and have written to the national NPC asking them to support the campaign.
With the ‘triple lock’ much of the media gives the impression that all pensioners are well off. Whilst pensioner poverty doesn’t impact as many people as it used to do, it still exists. In 2023 the National Housing Federation did some research in relation to older people in the private rented sector. They estimated that
- There were 867,000 people over 55 in the private rented sector;
- This had increased by 70% since 2010/11;
- 2 in 5 older renters struggle to afford food, heating or clothes
- 48% of PRS tenants over 65 are in the bottom 20% of household incomes
- 42% of older households struggle to pay their bills.
With an acute shortage of council housing, and mortgages unaffordable for many, it’s no surprise that more older people are in rented accommodation long term.
The UK Housing Review for 2023/24 estimated 1.597 million people (“household reference person”) 65+, were in rented accommodation, with 1.279 million 55-64. The English Housing Survey estimates 925,000 househods 55+ in the private rented sector.
With 1.951 million households over 55 in council and housing association (English Housing Survey 203/24), 10 years of above inflation rent increases will have a big impact on those who don’t have their rent covered by housing benefit or universal credit. With those under retirement age transferring over from ‘legacy benefits’ to universal credit, the ‘housing element’ of the latter is not guaranteed. That’s because if you earn ‘too much’ in any month, you won’t get anything.
For those older people in the private rented sector, with rent outstripping inflation and earnings, the demand for rent controls is becoming ever more pressing. For those in council and housing association properties, 10 years of above inflation rent increases will have a big impact, expecially as the freezing of tax thresholds is going to push more of the poorest of them into paying tax.
We’d therefore appeal to them to support our Statement opposing 10 years of above inflation rent increases, and ‘rent equalisation’ (see our Briefing, “Why we oppose ‘rent convergence’”). With ‘eating or heating’ a choice for more people, the wider movement of tenant unions, housing campaigns, trades unions, together with pensioners groups, needs to step up the pressure on the government to abandon these policies which will impoverish already poor tenants.
You can find the NPC regions here: Regions | National Pensioners Convention | Campaign
Labour Campaign for Council Housing 