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Rent gaps between local housing allowance and actual prices force some to food banks

A Wirral renter said her two-bedroom rent of £550 a month exceeded her £425 housing allowance, leaving a £125 shortfall that contributed to her first use of a food bank in years.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Residential

Housing support shortfalls are pushing more low-income renters to charity, with food banks warning that the gap between the local housing allowance and actual rents is growing in some areas, including Wirral and London.

One renter, Laura Braddock, described how her two-bedroom flat costs £550 a month, while her local housing allowance provides £425, creating a £125 rent gap she covers through grocery and heating budgets. She said she previously managed by cutting back on gas or eating lower-cost food, but in January those adjustments failed and she had to use a food bank for the first time in years.

The article says the gap between a two-bedroom rent and housing benefit can be as large as £158 a month in some places and rise to as much as £324 in London. It also highlights concerns that persistent financial stress can harm mental health and make parenting harder, according to Braddock.

Trussell, the food bank network, said many more households could be forced to rely on charity unless the government links local housing allowance more closely to real rents. The outlet also frames the issue as a choice between paying rent, buying food, or keeping warm in winter as budgets tighten.

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