Hundreds more people in the Vale of Glamorgan have fallen behind on paying their rent since the pandemic started. A “bleak and depressing picture” was painted by council officers who said the amount of unpaid rent owed to the council has almost doubled, and is expected to increase further.
As people struggled with money after being placed on furlough, working reduced hours, or losing their jobs, increasingly more have been placed on universal credit in the Vale. Due to the way universal credit is paid, some claimants find it difficult to pay their rent on time, leading to unpaid debts stacking up. This can eventually lead to evictions.
Councillors on the Vale’s homes and safe communities scrutiny committee heard a report into the huge spike in rent arrears, during a meeting on Wednesday, April 6.
