New findings from a survey of social housing tenants found that 70 per cent struggled to pay their rent, with 61 per cent forced to cut back on essentials, such as heating and food, to be able to pay their rent.

The eight largest housebuilding firms in the UK have paid shareholders £16 billion in dividends over the last 18 years, without significantly increasing the supply of new homes, according to new research from housing experts at Sheffield Hallam University.