Rent rises hit tenants

Jan 30 2008 by Andrew Baldwin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

IT will be no surprise to council house tenants that they are set to have inflation-busting rent rises.

A 4.7% increase from April will take average weekly rents up from £56.42 to £59.07.

Small beer perhaps in total terms, but still above inflation.

Leaders of Kirklees Council say they have little option given Government demands and funding rules.

But that will be scant comfort to the thousands of people who will have to pay more.

Many will view it as little more than a professional pickpocket dipping into the wallets of the innocent.

They will note that millions of workers are being offered BELOW inflation pay rises while nothing is done to curb obscene multi-million pound fat cat bonuses in private business.

Once more, ordinary people are having to take the brunt because they are the easy target.

It seems strange that Kirklees Federation of Tenants and Residents Association chooses to remain silent on the issue.