Pay rent, eat or keep warm? Growing numbers face hard choices as housing benefit gap grows
Rising gaps between rent costs and housing benefit are forcing more renters to choose between paying rent, buying food or heating their homes. A mother in Wirral, for example, has resorted to food banks. The shortfall between a two‑bedroom rent and the benefit is about £158 a month nationally and can reach £324 in London, tightening household budgets.