The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has once again called on the government to do more to help financially support landlords and tenants.

The landlord association is particularly concerned that a number of young renters are being forced to choose between building unsustainable debts and risking their health due to rules limiting what they can claim for housing benefit.

Those under 35 who are now relying on benefit to pay their rent for the first time will find that support will only be available to cover the cost of a room in a shared house, according to the NRLA.

In a letter to the Welfare Minister, Will Quince, the NRLA has called on the government to urgently adopt the recommendations of the Social Security Advisory Committee and suspend the Shared Accommodation Rate rule. The NRLA argues that this should be for a period of at least a year.

The call comes as government statistics show a significant increase in the proportion of Universal Credit claimants in the younger age brackets.

In the four weeks to the 8 October, the proportion of claimants aged between 16 and 24 was just over 27%, up from 21% in four weeks to the 12th March.

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said: “It is unacceptable that younger renters are being forced to choose between building debts or compromising their health during a pandemic.

“Whilst the vast majority of landlords have done everything they can to support renters whose finances have been hit due to the virus, it cannot be right that landlords and tenants are left to muddle through without greater support.

“If money can be found to subsidise meals out, the government must find the finances needed to support tenants, and in turn landlords, to pay off rent arrears, sustain tenancies and protect people’s health.”