Figures from the House of Commons Library show that around 3,000 tenants in Renfrewshire’s private rental sector are in receipt of housing benefit.
SNP Councillor for Paisley East and Central, Will Mylet claims, as of June 2017, when the figures were compiled, only 258 of those tenants had been moved over to universal credit.
This has left thousands of Renfrewshire households vulnerable to eviction as the controversial scheme rolls out further throughout 2018.
According to the Residential Landlords Association, 29% of landlords have already evicted a tenant for Universal Credit related rent arrears and the same report found that universal credit rent arrears is the main reason private sector landlords seek to evict tenants.
Cllr Mylet, said: “The UK Government’s shambolic roll out of Universal Credit if putting thousands of private sector tenants at risk of eviction due to long waits for Universal Credit payments.
“New measures introduced by the Chancellor to give universal credit claimants receiving housing benefit a two week transitional payment did nothing to help the thousands of Scottish tenants who are facing months of delays to payments but still having to pay their rent to a private landlord.
“The UK Government tells us time and time again that Universal Credit is working. They are wrong – it isn’t and Scottish tenants are paying the price. They should not be forced to live under a cloud of debt, and face the worry of eviction because of failed Tory ideology.
“There are very few landlords who will be satisfied with a two-week payment when waiting for their tenants to navigate through a punishing universal credit system. Indeed, many simply cannot afford the uncertainty of not knowing when the next rent payment is coming.
“Universal Credit is designed to create debt by default and is creating a legacy of long term hardship for families and delivering lasting harm to our communities. In the November budget, the Chancellor said “excessive debt undermines our economic security”, the difference is that the UK government has choices, many in debt because of Universal Credit have no options.
“With tens of thousands of Scottish tenants still to be moved over to Universal Credit, the Tories must put an end to the uncertainty and give landlords and tenants much needed financial security during transitionary periods to Universal Credit – or even better halt the whole fiasco so these issues can be fixed.”