PEOPLE receiving Universal Credit have racked up nearly £1 million in rent arrears.

Brighton and Hove City Council was owed £957,000 as of September this year.

The issue was highlighted at a council housing panel for the north area on Monday when the Housing Management Performance Report for the first two quarters of the year went before tenant representatives.

Moulsecoomb and Bevendean ward Labour councillor Kate Knight said the arrears were a symptom of the “human suffering” behind the statistics.

She said: “It is impossible to manage on Universal Credit.”

Arrears have almost doubled since the end of the last financial year, when £470,000 was owed by 1,005 tenants at the end of March.

There are now 1,759 people on Universal Credit which combined six benefits into one and includes direct payment of housing benefit to tenants.

Ododo Dafe, head of housing income, said Brighton was not doing as badly as other areas and the council was working with people to help them into payment patterns.

Once a tenant is eight weeks behind with their rent the council can arrange to have the money deducted from their benefits.