People struggling to make rent payments are continuing to benefit from support funding.
The targeted support is available to council tenants who find themselves falling into rent arrears due to waiting times for Universal Credit payments and those who have seen their incomes reduced during the coronavirus pandemic.
The council took action earlier this year to offset some of these issues with the creation of a Universal Assistance Fund and Covid Hardship Fund which have so far supported more than 3,700 people with nearly £1.4m of funding being made available to those people who need it most.
Demand for help has increased throughout the year as more people experience financial hardship caused by delays in Universal Credit being paid and household incomes being reduced.
Councillor Heather Brannan-McVey, convener of housing and regeneration, added: “Universal Credit and the coronavirus pandemic have been a double whammy of worry and confusion for lots of households. Many tenants would previously have had their rent paid directly from their housing benefit but that system has changed.
“Some tenants are finding themselves in arrears for the first time due to the built-in delays in receiving their first Universal Credit payment and we understand that this causes real concerns which is one of the reasons we put this fund in place. I would urge anyone worried about their rent payments to contact us so we can try and find a solution for you.”
Tenants struggling to pay their rent should contact their local housing office or call the Rents Helpline on: 01698 524811.