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100,000 Renters In England ‘Risk Eviction’ When Universal Credit Is Cut

100,000 renters in England ‘risk eviction’ when universal credit is cut

Housing charity Crisis says £20-a-week reduction could be final blow for struggling households

At least 100,000 renting households will be placed at risk of eviction when the government’s planned £20-a-week cut to universal credit comes into effect next week, the housing charity Crisis has warned.

The proportion of private renters relying on benefits in England has surged to around one in three since the start of the pandemic, leaving thousands at risk of homelessness due to arrears if the uplift to UC is removed by ministers as planned.

The footballer Marcus Rashford is among those calling for its retention, citing fears about child hunger.

The squeeze on renters is being compounded by the final lifting of the emergency restrictions on evictions during the pandemic in England and the end of the furlough scheme on Friday.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have extended more liberal measures on evictions until next year.

“For many struggling renters this cut could be the final blow that forces them from their homes,” said Jon Sparkes, the chief executive of Crisis. “The UK government must change course and keep the £20 uplift so that people don’t needlessly lose their homes this winter and we have a fighting chance at recovery. The UK government assured people they would not lose their home because of the crisis; we must not fail them now.”

The charity predicts evicted households who seek help from local councils with emergency housing will end up costing the public purse more.

With a third of renters relying on benefits following the pandemic, the impact could be widespread.

The number of private renters relying on UC or housing benefit for rent surged to almost 2 million in May 2021 with 560,000 renters joining benefits queues since February 2020, according to analysis by the housing charity Shelter of Department of Work and Pensions figures.

The biggest increases were seen in the most expensive areas of London and the south-east, but other hotspots where the majority of renters rely on benefits include Blackpool, Middlesbrough, Great Yarmouth and Torbay.

Dan Wilson Craw, the director of the Generation Rent campaign group, said the UC cut would have a twin effect on renters, pushing some into arrears that would lead to eviction and make it harder for them to pass affordability checks to get a new home. He said about half of private renters who rely on local housing allowance benefits already do not get enough to cover their rent and have to top it up.

“Without the uplift, and with the end of furlough … we will see another surge in eviction notices served in the run-up to Christmas,” he said. “There’s still time for the government to step in with a Covid rent debt fund to clear renters’ arrears and keep people in their homes.”

From 1 October, the notice periods for anyone served a section 21 “no fault” eviction notice in England will have two rather than four months’ notice to find a new home. For tenants in arrears, the notice period for anyone owing less than four months’ rent was cut from four to two months and for anyone with longer arrears to four weeks.

A government spokesperson said the UC uplift was always temporary and “designed to help people through the toughest stages of the pandemic.”

“Universal credit will continue to provide vital support for those both in and out of work and we will deliver a fairer and more effective rental market that works for both tenants and landlords,” they said, adding the government is spending £750m to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over 2021-22 and will publish a white paper on renting including the abolition of “no fault” evictions in due course.

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‘Look at How Stupid and Unintelligent you people are’ – Asari Dokubo Slams Those Saying Lagos Belongs to the Binis

Asari Dokubo has slammed Nigerians who are pushing the narrative that Lagos state belongs to the Binis. His comment comes days after the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare 11, said that the Binis founded some parts of Lagos state.

The Monarch’s comment sparked a debate with people agreeing and also countering the monarch’s assertion. Some people in their submissions, insisted that the Binis own Lagos state

In a video shared online, Asari asked which of the Obas of Benin owned Lagos.

He described those peddling the idea that Lagos belongs to the Binis as unintelligent and stupid people.

“Look at how unintelligent and stupid you are to say that the Bini people founded Lagos. It’s a useless argument.

“Daume also attacked Lagos and attacked Abeokuta and Daume is in Benin Republic. So Daume people will say they owe this place because they came to fight there?

Borogu, which of them is the Benin Republic, will now say that because they had their army all over the place in those days, Igbo-Ora and the whole Okedun belong to them?

“You don’t know history. The Bini army attacked Lagos Island. The Ijaw army ferried them to attack not the whole of Lagos, just Lagos Island.

“Lagos was five divisions, four of these divisions were in the former Western Region. You don’t know history. But they keep Talking about ‘Lagos belongs to Benin’ which Oba of Benin can Lagos belong to?

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Nigerians will soon enjoy improved Electricity supply — Power Minister

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has assured that Nigerians will soon start enjoying improved power supply across the country.

This was even as he stated that the totality of the re-enacted electricity act has changed the entire landscape of the power sector.

The Minister disclosed this at the 3rd edition of the Power Correspondents Association of Nigeria annual workshop in Abuja on Thursday.

According to him, the 2023 Electricity Act has liberalised electricity generation, transmission, and distribution while also empowering states, organisations, and even individuals to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity.

He noted that the key part of the 2023 Electricity Act is the development of the Integrated National Electricity Policy and Strategic Implementation Plan.

“We are working with the National Council on Power (NCP) to develop and send the implementation strategy to the FederalE Executive Council (FEC) for approval,” he said.

Also, he said, “Part of the strategy in our road map is the emphasis on the bottom-up approach, unlike the top-down approach of the past.

“The implication, with the bottom-up approach, is that we will prioritise metering, distribution, and transmission infrastructure. In the short term, we will focus on customers down to distribution and transmission infrastructure. This is to ensure that a significant portion of what is generated currently gets to end users.

“We will also pay attention to the generation segment, particularly in areas of distributed (embedded) power from renewable energy sources, while at the same time advancing base load power through thermal and hydroelectric plants in the medium to long term.”

He further noted that the administration would explore the country’s regional energy potential.

“We will focus on solar energy in the North, mini hydropower plants in the Middle Belt and the Southwest, hybridised with solar, while our coastal states will be identified for wind energy utilisation.

Taking all the above into consideration, especially with the liberalisation of the sector, Nigerians will soon start to experience the objective that led to the Act, which is improved power supply across the country,” he said

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Court Remands 14-year-old Suspected Killer of FUTMinna Lecturer

A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Minna, Niger State capital, has remanded a 14-year-old prime suspect, Joy Afekafe, over murder of Mrs. Funmilola Sherifat Adefolalu, an associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna.

The Nigerian Police, Niger State Command, arraigned the 14-year-old Afekafe on three count charges which include criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide and armed robbery.

The offences are in contrary to sections 97, 221 and 298 of the penal code law

The prosecution told Chief Magistrate Fati Hassan Umar that two other suspects in the crime: Wallex and Smart are still at large.

The prosecutor, DSP Ahmed Saidu told the court that the trio had invaded the residence of the deceased on the 28th of October 2023 ”where you took a knife in the kitchen and stabbed her all over her body.

”You also used a wooden stool and hit her on her head after which you carted away $3000, one laptop computer, one mobile phone, two power banks and a car battery.”

The prosecution added that as a result, “the victim was taken to the IBB Specialist hospital where she was confirmed dead by medical doctors”.

When the charge was read to Afekafe, she pleaded not guilty to the crime.

The prosecution pleaded with the court to remand the accused in the Correctional Centre to enable the Police forward the case file to the Director of Public Prosecution in the state Ministry of Justice for legal advice, adding that it is only the High Court that has jurisdiction to try the case.

Chief Magistrate Fati Hassan Umar directed that Afekafe be remanded at the Children Correctional Centre before adjourning the case to 11th of December, 2023 for further mention