Petition Abolish Rents Convergence Policy

The Labour government introduced a "Rents Convergence Policy" in 2002 for all Social Housing, which has been extended by the current government until 2015/16.

Since 2002 rents for social housing tenants have increased by the rate of RPI + 0.5% plus £2.00 per week.

This has resulted in year on year extortionate rent increases, to continue until 2015/2016 at the earliest.

Many social housing tenants have found that their rent has nearly doubled in a decade.

Many social housing properties are now more expensive than similar properties in the private sector.

This housing policy has inflated rents. It is the main reason for the explosion in Housing Benefit payments. This is bad for tenants and bad for taxpayers who fund Housing Benefit.

Massive rent increases, together with benefit caps at 1% means the amount of "Bedroom Tax" is unaffordable.

This policy should be scrapped which allows housing providers to rip tenants off with inflation busting rent hikes.