TENANTS could face debt and homelessness if more support is not provided by the British government, a charity warned today.

Shelter Scotland said current Universal Credit rates are too low, as many apply for benefit for the first time.

There are around 340,000 private renters in Scotland, while Britain has recently recorded a tenfold increase in new Universal Credit claims.

The benefit’s housing element – the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) – covers only the lowest third of market rents in an area, meaning that anyone paying an average rent will face a shortfall.

The average rent for a two-bed property in the Lothian region is £900 a month, while the LHA rate is £822.73.

In Greater Glasgow there is an even larger shortfall: the median monthly rate for a two-bedroom home is £750 but the LHA is £648.

Shelter Scotland is calling on Westminster to increase housing benefit so it covers the average cost of local rents.

The charity’s assistant director, Gordon MacRae, said: "As renters lose their jobs and see their incomes hit, many will have to rely on the welfare safety net for the first time.

"We're facing an onslaught of people suddenly unable to afford their rent, at a time when people need to stay put and cannot safely move to a cheaper home.

"To avoid spiralling debt and needless evictions when we come out of lockdown, the government must increase the housing element of Universal Credit so that it covers the average cost of local rents."