Shropshire's private renters pay more than £200 extra compared to social tenants

Housing campaigners have slammed the Government for not doing more to support renters in its budget after the Chancellor announced additional help for home buyers.

They say building more social homes is the best solution to thousands of tenants across the country having their bank balances 'bled dry by expensive private rents'.

The average weekly rent for a social home in Shropshire was £86 in March last year, Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) figures show – about £371 per month.

But Office for National Statistics data shows the average private rent in the area was £629 – around £258 more expensive.

Social housing is provided by housing associations or councils, and rent is pegged to local incomes. The RSH figures are net rent, which excludes service charges.

Council-owned social housing was cheaper, amounting to roughly £350 per month on average, while for private providers of social homes it was £377.

The average social renter across the West Midlands was set back £83 per week – around £359 a month – while a private renter faced a bill of £671.

Dan Wilson Craw, deputy director of the campaign group Generation Rent, said the number of private renters who depend on benefits has surged during the pandemic.

"But the rates on offer are inadequate compared with average rents and more than half of private renters getting Universal Credit don't get enough to cover their rent," he added.

"This is causing hardship, rent arrears and the threat of eviction and homelessness."

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokeswoman said the Government is "providing more support than ever before to help people onto the housing ladder".

She added: "Alongside First Homes, Shared Ownership, our £12 billion investment in affordable housing and our Help to Buy scheme, the Chancellor this week announced a new mortgage guarantee scheme that will help thousands more families take their first step into a home they own."