Barnsley is heading for a benefits crisis which could see thousands fall into debt and rent arrears across the borough reach record levels.
That grim warning comes from Jackie Walker, senior official at the Barnsley branch of the South Yorkshire Credit Union.
Labour leader MP Ed Miliband has pledged to protect the rights of private renters as part of his party's 'One Nation' philosophy.
In a speech to the Fabian Society, Mr Miliband highlighted the potentially divisive rift between private renters and homeowners.
Under the Universal Credit, lone parent families will gain nothing from working more hours and in some cases could be worse off after having to pay for additional childcare and seeing their benefits reduced and tax increased, reveals a new report.
Children’s charity Barnardo's warns it will be impossible for some of the UK’s poorest families to ‘strive’ their way out of poverty by working more than 24 hours (lone parents) or 35 hours (couples) per week as the Government has claimed when the Universal Credit is introduced in October.
MPs have approved the controversial Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill following a fiery debate in the House of Commons.
The bill, which will cap rises in a number of benefits at 1 per cent, passed by 328 votes to 262.
MPs will vote today on the Government's plans to place a 1% cap on working-age benefit rises - but have been warned that the changes are "likely to lead to increased homelessness".
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has argued that such a cap would be "unsustainable" and will lead to many tenants facing eviction as they find themselves unable to pay their rents.
One million people have used a payday loan to help pay for their rent or mortgage over the past 12 months, according to research published by Shelter.
The charity is stressing the dangers of turning to short-term, high interest credit as a way to help meet housing costs.
A London council is considering proposals that could lead to its obese residents having their benefits cut if they don't take exercise.
A new report by think tank the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) recommends cutting welfare pay-outs for the obese if they refuse to exercise.
A plan to make people financially responsible, by paying their housing benefit directly into their banks rather than to their landlords, risks backfiring, according to social policy experts.
The National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations in England, is warning that up to a million people in social housing will be at risk of falling into debt when the "universal credit" is rolled out next year.
Social landlords taking part in trials where tenants are paid their benefits direct are reporting arrears of around double the norm.
Their experiences will be of interest to private landlords, who have long protested that tenants receiving Local Housing Allowance do not always pass the rent money on but spend it on other things.
Just 1.5 per cent of rental properties are available to single people on benefits, according to research from homelessness charity Crisis.
The charity for single homeless people organised ‘mystery shoppers’ to pose as renters looking for a room in shared properties in the private rented sector in Birmingham, Leeds and Lewisham.