Published: 27 February 2023
Westminster City Council is launching the Rent Support Fund to help social housing tenants struggling with rent payments during the cost-of-living crisis.
The £1 million fund will be targeted at residents most in need of help as they face significant rent rises this year. Social housing rents are due to increase by up to 7 per cent from April 2023.
The council’s Rent Support Fund has been created specifically to help those in financial difficulty. The money will be used to cover some or all of the upcoming rent increases for households who are not entitled to Universal Credit or Housing Benefit.
Tenants who are eligible for full or partial benefits will receive the full rebate in their Housing Benefit or Universal Credit payments.
If you are not claiming benefit and would like to speak to someone about this fund, please register your interest below and an income officer will contact you.
Councillor Liza Begum, Cabinet Member for Housing, said:
“We all know the terrible toll that the cost of living crisis is having on many households. But hearing the stories from people on our estates brings home the personal nature of what it means to be forced to go without every day essentials to make ends meet.
Debts and money troubles can take an unbearable toll on families driven to impossible choices between heating and eating or deciding which bills to pay. The constant worry drives people to despair.
“This funding will give families a lifeline, providing support to cushion the upcoming rent rises and offering light at the end of the tunnel."