Direct payments soar but won't be made law

Thu, 11 Feb 2016

The number of social housing tenants who have their rent paid directly from their benefits has tripled in the last seven years.

Despite this there are calls for Treasury to make it mandatory in order to stop people from getting into debt.

Malew and Santon MHK Graham Cregeen has added his voice to the debate in the House of Keys.

At the minute it's up to the tenant to agree to the money being deducted at source - but he says it doesn't make sense: