Rent arrears in Linlithgow climb by almost £7000

Considered one of the better off parts of West Lothian, the ward is not immune to increasing hardships through the cost of living crisis of the last year. The bulk of rental debts is below the £500 mark.

Local Housing manager Phyllis McFadyen told councillors in a report to this month’s meeting: “Income management continues to be one of our main focuses of work to ensure customers are supported and officers maintain good income collection.”

The level of rent arrears for the ward rose by £6696 in the last three months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.

The overall figure for the ward for the third quarter of the year was £187,001. County-wide arrears totalled £4,574, 271 at the start of 2024.

The report added: “For the Linlithgow ward the collection rate for the year to date in Quarter 3 remains excellent at 98.4 per cent. Linlithgow has collected £2,237,157 in income against a charge of £2,273,486.”

Of the households in arrears more than half, 51.4 per cent, are not in receipt of Universal Credit while 48.6 per cent are. Until the cost of living crisis, rent arrears were mostly higher among those in receipt of Universal Credit – not least because transferring onto the new benefit involved a time lag of up to two months.

Low debt cases, which are managed through early intervention by housing officers, have increased by one since last year. These cases (£500 or less), account for 63.70 per cent of households and 19.34 per cent of the debt. High debt cases – more than 2000 – account for 7.19 per cent of households and 34.97 per cent of the debt.

Mrs McFadyen told councillors: “Officers have been working to support a number of tenants in the area alongside colleagues from other service areas and agencies, dealing with a range of tenancy management issues and providing assistance.”

Chairing the local area committee, Councillor Sally Pattle said: “It is not surprising to see rent arrears have increased. People are no longer just feeling the squeeze, in many cases it feels as though they’re being strangled.

“The most important thing is to let people know help is always available.”