Brighton and Hove Benefits News and Resources
The national story tells a different picture – Average UK monthly private rent inflation continued to slow, increasing by 3.3%, to £1,383, in the 12 months to May 2026 (provisional estimate); this annual growth rate is down from 3.5% in the 12 months to April 2026. Average rents increased to £1,442 (3.4%) in England, £836…
A new report by anti-poverty charity Z2K has found that hundreds of thousands of disabled people are put through unnecessary Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reassessments, despite their conditions being lifelong or progressive and unlikely to improve. What are PIP reassessments? PIP reassessments are periodic checks on an existing award, meant to make sure a claimant…
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/budgeting1/get-help-with-bills/ There are things you can do if you’re struggling to pay your bills – for example your energy bills, rent and council tax. If you owe money and you’re struggling to pay You should speak to the organisations you owe money to – they might let you pay smaller amounts or take a break…
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/broken-fit-note-system-to-be-overhauled The government press release states, Patients, employers and GPs are set to benefit from an overhaul of the broken fit note system following the launch of several pilots by the Government today to reform the system for workers who fall ill. The current system sees some 11 million fit notes issued every year, with…
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-one-off-payment-under-the-successful-legacy-appeals-compensation-scheme Who the scheme is for In 2020, a Court of Appeal decision concluded that people who had an incorrect decision to end their legacy benefits later reversed, for example on appeal, could not be reinstated onto their legacy benefit if they had already claimed Universal Credit. However, where these same people had a lower…
https://z2k.org/rent-increase-tribunals-in-england/ Rent increases in England Unreasonable rent increases have long functioned as a form of informal or ‘backdoor’ eviction within England’s private rented sector. For renters facing the ever‑present threat of section 21 eviction, a large or unaffordable rent increase has frequently been impossible to challenge, even where it bears little relation to market rent….
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/renters-rights-act-overview-for-tenants The Renters’ Rights Act changes how landlords let out private properties on or from 1 May 2026. This overview of the main changes is for tenants. Separate guidance is available for landlords. The changes apply to privately rented properties. Different rules apply if you: rent from a housing association or local councillive in student…
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/privaterentandhousepricesuk/april2026
https://imd2025.co.uk/map2025/
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/privaterentandhousepricesuk/march2026 Private rent and house prices, UK: March 2026The Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR) measures private rent inflation for new and existing tenancies. The UK House Price Index (HPI) measures house price inflation.