Month: March 2022

Scammers targeting Self Assessment customers, HMRC warns

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is warning Self Assessment customers to be on their guard following the Self Assessment deadline after more than 570,000 scams were reported to HMRC in the last year.

At this time of year, Self Assessment customers are at increased risk of falling victim to scams, even if they don’t mention Self Assessment. They can be taken in by scam texts, emails or calls either offering a ‘refund’ or demanding unpaid tax, thinking that they are genuine HMRC communications referring to their Self Assessment return. In the 12 months to January 2022, nearly 220,000 scams reported to HMRC offered bogus tax rebates.

Criminals target unsuspecting Self Assessment customers to try and steal money or personal information. They use phone calls, texts and emails to try and dupe citizens, and often mimic government messages to make them appear authentic. In January 2022, phone scams rose to 3,995 compared to 425 reported in April 2020.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “If someone contacts you saying they’re from HMRC, wanting you to transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard. 

“Never let yourself be rushed, and if you’re in any doubt then check our ‘HMRC scams’ advice on GOV.UK.”

HMRC gave customers an extra month to submit a completed tax return and if customers filed by 28 February 2022, they would avoid a late filing penalty. More than 11.3 million customers filed their Self Assessment tax return by 28 February, with more than 1 million of those taking advantage of the extra time by filing in February.

Customers have until 1 April to pay their outstanding tax bill or set up a Time to Pay arrangement to avoid receiving a late payment penalty. Interest has been applied to all outstanding balances since 1 February.

Customers can now make Self Assessment payments quickly and securely through the HMRC app. Customers choosing to make secure Self Assessment payments through the HMRC app can either connect to their bank to make their payments or pay by Direct Debit, personal debit card or corporate/commercial credit/debit card. 

A full list of the payment methods customers can use to pay their Self Assessment tax bill is available on GOV.UK.

Customers can report suspicious phone calls using a form on GOV.UK. Customers can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599. 

HMRC has a dedicated team working on cyber and phone crimes. They use innovative technologies to prevent misleading and malicious communications from ever reaching the customer.

Since 2017, these technical controls have prevented 500 million emails from reaching HMRC’s customers. More recently, new controls have prevented 90% of the most convincing SMS messages from reaching the public and controls have been applied to prevent spoofing of most HMRC helpline numbers.

HMRC is also reminding Self Assessment customers to double check websites and online forms before using them to complete their 2020/21 tax return.

People can be taken in by misleading websites designed to make them pay for help in submitting tax returns or charging to connect them to HMRC phone lines.

Customers who are in any doubt about whether a website is genuine should visit GOV.UK for more information about Self Assessment and use the free signposted tax return forms.

Edinburgh City FC to fundraise for J.K. Rowling’s charity Ukraine appeal

Football match to raise money for Lumos Ukraine appeal

Football fans will be doing their bit for charity when they attend the Edinburgh City FC vs. Stranraer FC match this Friday 18th March, as all ticket proceeds will be donated to Lumos’ emergency Ukraine appeal.

Lumos is an international children’s charity founded by Edinburgh-based author J.K. Rowling that has been working in Ukraine for nearly a decade supporting national and regional authorities with care reform and developing community support services so that children can grow up in families rather than in orphanages.

In response to the current crisis, Lumos has launched an emergency appeal to help the children and families of Ukraine, raising vital funds to provide food, hygiene and medicine kits, help with the relocation of the most vulnerable children, support families, foster carers and emergency foster carers, and to provide psychological support in the coming weeks and months.

All tickets will be £5, and season ticket holders will be offered the opportunity to make a donation on the night.

Peter McDermott, Lumos CEO, said: “For many, football offers the opportunity to come together with family. This partnership between Edinburgh City FC and Lumos offers the public a way to  help the children and families of Ukraine, who are now in grave danger. War tears apart families and exposes already vulnerable children to all manners of harm.

“We are grateful for Edinburgh City FC for this gesture of generosity that will help Lumos keep more families together and provide vital help to those impacted by this war.”

Jim Brown, Edinburgh City FC Chairman, said: “Edinburgh City FC have a proud history of supporting our local community so we are delighted to announce a partnership with Lumos who are supporting communities right now in Ukraine.

“Like so many we are deeply touched at the work Lumos is currently doing with children and vulnerable families throughout Ukraine including Edinburgh’s twin city of Kyiv, therefore we are donating 100% of the gate money from this coming Friday evening’s game so they can continue to get vital supplies to those who need it most.

“All tickets for our game are priced at £5 so we urge all football fans and the wider public to come along to Ainslie Park on Friday. This is more than just football: this is Edinburgh standing with Ukraine.”

Advance tickets can be purchased at: 

https://app.fanbaseclub.com/Fan/Tickets/SelectType?fixtureId=656

Scotland’s Covid regulations: face coverings to remain for now

Legal requirements to wear face coverings on public transport and most indoor public settings will continue until at least early April given the current spike in Covid case numbers, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced yesterday.

Remaining legal requirements for businesses and service providers to collect customer details for contact tracing, and to have regard to and take reasonable measures set out in Covid guidance, will end as planned on Monday 21 March.

The First Minister also confirmed that people without COVID-19 symptoms will no longer be asked to take regular lateral flow tests tests from 18 April. The change forms part of the Test and Protect Transition Plan, which sets out how testing will become more targeted, with the aim of reducing serious harm from COVID-19. 

The changes to Test and Protect mean that from 18 April:

  • most people without symptoms will no longer be asked to take COVID-19 tests
  • free lateral flow devices (LFDs) for the purposes of twice weekly routine testing will no longer be available for the general population given the changing advice, but will continue to be free for any purpose for which testing continues to be advised – for clinical care, for health and social care workers and for people visiting vulnerable individuals in care homes or hospitals
  • until the end of April, people with symptoms should still isolate and get a PCR test
  • vaccinated close contacts of someone with COVID-19 should continue to test daily for seven days with LFDs

People who have symptoms of COVID-19 will still be able to book PCR tests in the usual way until 30 April. From that date, test sites will close and people with symptoms will no longer be advised that they need to seek a test. The public health advice for people who feel unwell will be to stay at home until they feel better, to reduce the risk of infecting other people.

The First Minister thanked the frontline Test and Protect workforce for their efforts throughout the pandemic. Work is on-going to support staff to explore other opportunities in the public and private sector.

The First Minister said: “Today marks a further decisive shift away from controlling Covid through legal restrictions, and towards relying instead on advice and guidance. But please remember, especially since case numbers are so high, that this guidance and advice remains important. 

“Given current case numbers, and the desirability of getting those back under control quickly, the wearing of face masks will stay in place for at least another two weeks.

“Changes in Test and Protect will be phased between now and the end of April. After Easter – from 18 April – we will stop recommending that people who don’t have symptoms, should test for Covid.

“This change will apply across the population –including in most workplaces and in early years centres, schools, universities and colleges.

“Then, at the end of April, routine testing will end – even for people who have symptoms. 

“At that time, physical test sites will close – although some mobile testing units and capacity will be retained for possible future use. Contact tracing will also end.

“Free testing will not generally be available to the wider population. Instead, our advice will be that if you have symptoms of Covid – or indeed symptoms of the flu, or any other infectious illness – you should stay at home in order to aid your recovery.”

Call for increased investment in mental health as child referrals increase by more than 25%

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of children’s services, has called for greatly increased investment in mental health services as the impacts of the  Covid-19 pandemic on the young become clearer.

The call comes as new figures published by Public Health Scotland today (15th March 2022), indicate that at the end of December 2021, 10,021 children and young people had been referred for treatment from specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).  

This includes issues such as anxiety and depression and represents a staggering 27.1 per cent increase from the previous quarter (July to September 2021) when the figure was 7,882.

With already under-resourced and overstretched services facing overwhelming pressure due to increased demand, the SCSC has raised concerns over a potential “lost generation” of vulnerable children and young people whose mental health is being impacted by Covid-19. 

Even prior to the pandemic cases of poor mental health were at unprecedented levels and in crisis, and there are a growing number of vulnerable children who cannot access adequate support. The pandemic has exacerbated this, leading to unprecedented demand and backlogs, with services struggling to keep up.

In total, 4, 544 children and young people started treatment at CAMHS over the period October to December 2021. This is an increase of 19.8 per cent from the previous quarter (3,792) and only 70.3 per cent were seen within the Scottish Government’s waiting time target for the NHS of 18 weeks from referral to treatment (met by at least 90 per cent of patients).

This is a fall from the previous quarter when the figure was 78.6 per cent. Eight out of 14 health boards failed to meet this target.

A total of 1,570 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment at the end of December 2021.

In addition to increased investment in specialist CAMHS, the SCSC has called for greater workforce planning and a renewed focus on expanded prevention and early intervention services, reducing the need for referral to costly specialist mental health services.

It has also called for greater partnership working between the public, private and third sectors as well as greater awareness of the services on offer, especially those at a community level.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “For some time now, we have raised concerns over a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people, whose mental health is being impacted even further by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“Too many of our young people are waiting too long for the treatment they need and it is more important than ever that children can access the support required, irrespective of where they live.

“While we welcome the attention that the Scottish Government has given to date on this vital issue, a lack of resources and lack of staff mean it’s becoming an impossible situation to manage. There must be a radical transformation of our mental health services, investing in specialist services and with a focus on preventing such problems arising in the first place and intervening early.

“This is a crisis we can overcome, but as the country comes to terms with the biggest hit to its mental health in generations, it will require a similar energy and commitment to that demonstrated for Covid-19 if we are to achieve this and prevent many young people giving up on their futures.”

Waiting times (with adjustments) for people who started their treatment from October to December 2021, by NHS Board of treatment:

Health boardTotal number seen% seen within 18 weeks
NHS Scotland4,54470.3
NHS Ayrshire & Arran35093.7
NHS Borders7067.1
NHS Dumfries & Galloway13347.4
NHS Fife36371.9
NHS Forth Valley11157.7
NHS Grampian37295.2
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley1,56157.7
NHS Highland23275.0
NHS Lanarkshire23969.5
NHS Lothian72665.2
NHS Tayside32993.0
NHS Island Boards58100.0

Scottish surgical colleges fund South Sudan’s first-ever paediatric surgeon

Two of Scotland’s most historic and prestigious surgical institutions are collaborating to support the work of leading global healthcare charity Kids Operating Room (KidsOR).

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow have come together to raise funds to support a first-ever paediatric surgeon in South Sudan.

The Colleges, which boast a combined membership of more than 45,000 from all around the world, have joined forces to raise funding for KidsOR’s scholarship programme in South Sudan, which aims to support the scholarship and training of the country’s first paediatric surgeon and for a period of at least five years.

Each College will be looking to raise £6,500 given that £13,000 supports a trainee surgeon through one year of training.

Michael Stitt, Director of Partnerships at The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, said: “The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Global Surgery Foundation exists in order to help to build sustainable surgical capacity in communities suffering from a chronic shortage of care.

“We are funding our share of the donation through the Global Surgery Foundation and KidsOR is a fantastic example of the very reason we have the initiative in place. It provides vital services to children who might not have otherwise had access to the healthcare they need.

“We are delighted to help fund the first paediatric surgeon in South Sudan and are looking forward to seeing the positive impact it has on children in the area.”

Mrs Alison Lannigan, Chair at HOPE Foundation, said: “The fellows and members of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and those of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh have contributed successfully for many years  to the training and education of surgeons both in the UK and overseas.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity through Kids OR to take this further and collaborate in the funding of the Paediatric Surgical Scholarship Programme in South Sudan. At RCPSG, our members recognise the need to improve surgical care on a global scale and are delighted to award funding from the Hope Foundation to this worthy endeavour.”

Prof George Youngson, CBE trustee of Kids OR said: “Developing surgical services for children in a difficult part of the world, needs careful planning, commitment and resources particularly at a time when health services in our own country are being greatly stretched.

“However, in a characteristically Scottish visionary way, the two surgical colleges in Scotland have come together and looked beyond our own immediate challenges and taken an initiative that will provide treatment for a huge number of children in need of care elsewhere in the world. This support will not just be life changing for some, it will change many lives.”

Whilst the pandemic has a global perspective, so does the lack of access to surgical treatment for children particularly in those parts of the world like South Sedan where external aid is hard to penetrate. This makes the investment in assisting and developing local solutions provided by local surgeons and carers all the more precious.

David Cunningham, CEO of KidsOR, said: “We would like to thank the Royal Colleges for supporting our work in South Sudan. Despite being a country of 11 million – over half of whom are children – South Sudan lacks a single paediatric surgeon.

“The country also lacks the infrastructure with no paediatric Operating Room. This is reflected in the fact the country has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world (58.6 per 1,000 live births) and an alarmingly high under-fives mortality rate (89.8/1,000).”

Mr Cunningham added: “By coming together to fund the paediatric surgeon program, both of Scotland’s ancient Surgical Colleges will symbolise the power of partnership and the global reach of both Colleges, and would be celebrated across the diverse memberships of both institutions.”

Since 2018, the KidsOR Scholarship Program has worked with a number of partners to both fund the scholarships programme and to develop the infrastructure and networks needed to train paediatric surgeons across Africa. The first of the 120 KidOR surgical scholars are just now beginning to graduate.

One such graduate surgeon is Dr Alicia Messenga, who is based at Bugando Medical Centre, in Mwanza, Tanzania – a hospital that provides services to a population of almost 17 million (one third of the total population of the country).

Dr Messenga said: “Successful completion of my studies has benefitted our community as paediatric patients get the specialist care they need. As Bugando Medical Centre is also a university teaching hospital, surgical students get exposure to paediatric surgery now that we have a paediatric surgery unit in the hospital thanks to KidsOR and Smile Train.”

Later this year, KidsOR will begin training South Sudan’s first paediatric surgeons. The two scholars are Dr Betty Arkangalo Yuggu Phillimona (above) and Dr Bidali James Sebit Nzira. The Royal Colleges’ funding will be supporting the training of Dr Betty Arkangalo Yuggu Phillimona.

KidsOR is a charity tackling the global crisis in children’s surgery. You can donate to their lifesaving work by visiting www.kidsor.org.

Calling teens with big dreams: the Bright Future Prize

The search is on for the next generation of inspiring community leaders as Ardonagh Community Trust launches its £40,000 Bright Future Prize 

Teens with big dreams have been asked to put forward their ideas for the Bright Future Prize to make a difference to the communities they care about.  

The prize, which is now in its second year, is hosted by Ardonagh Community Trust (ACT), the registered charity of one of the world’s leading insurance brokers, The Ardonagh Group. 

Winners of this year’s four prize categories will each receive a share of the £40,000 fund, alongside opportunities for mentoring, to help turn their dreams into reality.     

ACT Trustee and former British and Ireland Lions Captain Rory Best, described his delight at the prize’s launch and asked young people to step forward to help bring about the change they want to see in the world. He said: “I’m excited that applications for the Bright Future Prize 2022 are now officially open.  

“We want to hear from 13–19-year-olds about the incredible projects and causes they’re passionate about, so that we can help support their communities around the world.  

“I’m incredibly proud to be an ACT trustee and supporter of the Bright Future Prize and I can’t wait to read about young people’s big ideas to help shape a brighter future.” 

Last year, four talented individuals and groups were given the chance to drive positive change in their communities. Their projects ranged from promoting anti-bullying messages and supporting teenagers to pursue musical ambitions, to encouraging young people living in areas of deprivation to apply to top universities.   

The winners of the Bright Future Prize 2021, a team of three teenagers from Manchester, were awarded the prize for their innovative project, developed as part of a project with Manchester’s Contact Theatre, to help young people to protect their mental health.

Their proposed computer game – Dawn to the Light – aims to support young people to find positive ways to learn about mental health.   

The Dawn to the Light Team encouraged young people to enter this year’s prize saying that the experience had helped them to feel empowered to help others.  

The team said: “The prize fund allowed our idea to go from an idea on a page to a soon-to-come project that will be a fully-fledged videogame.  

“It allowed us to explore our own individuals’ talents and helped us showcase them in the work we put together.  

“To anyone applying to the fund, you should approach the application with the passion that you already possess for the project.  You should never think an idea isn’t good enough or important enough and keep your mind optimistic.” 

This year, there are four prize categories, which are each linked to a different way young people can help improve their community of choice.   

The prize categories are:   

  • Your community – Making a difference to the people around you   
  • Your planet – Protecting the environment and taking a stand against climate change   
  • Your vision – Driving positive change through entrepreneurship or innovation  
  • Your passion – Sharing your love for music, the arts or sport with more people    

The prize is open to young people aged 13-19, who live a region where Ardonagh has a presence, including in the UK, Ireland, Australia, the United States, or South Africa.

To apply, candidates – individually, or as a group – should propose a project or a cause close to their heart, and outline how they will use the funding to help make their community better, brighter, and stronger.

Applications are open between 14 March and Friday 29 April. 

To apply please visit: https://www.ardonaghtrust.org/bright-future-prize 

The Ardonagh Community Trust helps communities become better, brighter and stronger. Since the charity’s launch in 2017, it has raised more than £1.5 million for causes around the world.   

Notice of Local Government Election published: nominations are now open

Nominations open today (Tuesday 15 March) for candidates to stand in the forthcoming Local Government Election.

The Election will take place on Thursday, 5 May, when people living across Edinburgh will elect members to the City of Edinburgh Council.  

The Notice of Election was published yesterday for Edinburgh’s 17 wards where three or four councillors will be elected in each ward to represent residents. 

In 2017, 63 councillors were elected to represent the City of Edinburgh Council, with a 50.5% turnout for the city – up from 42.6% in 2012.

In order to stand as a candidate, individuals must submit nomination papers, by 4pm on Wednesday 30 March.  

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A MEMBER OF A POLITICAL PARTY TO STAND FOR ELECTION !!


 Andrew Kerr, Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for Edinburgh, said: “The Notice of Election signifies the official start of the election period. The forthcoming election will enable the city’s residents to have their say, and I would take this opportunity to urge all citizens to make sure they are registered and use their vote.

“There are a range of options for casting ballots – in person, by post or by appointing someone trusted to vote in your place, known as a proxy.

“The local councillors elected make important decisions on provision of public services, including education, social care, waste management, libraries, planning and much more on behalf of Edinburgh residents.

“Preparations are well underway to ensure a successful election with plans for any additional restrictions required due to the ongoing pandemic. We’re keen to continue the enthusiasm demonstrated by voters during last year’s Scottish Parliament Election when we had the same range of safety measures in place.” 

Find out more about voter registration and elections.

Key dates and times:

  • Register to vote by midnight on Monday 18 April
  • Register for postal or proxy vote by 5pm on Tuesday 19 April
  • Apply for emergency proxy votes by 5pm on Thursday 5 May
  • Vote in person at polling places between 7am and 10pm on 5 May
  • Ballot papers will be counted on Friday 6 May
  • Voters can obtain more information about the elections and how to vote at www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voter

Endurance22 Expedition Team follow successful discovery with visit to South Georgia

The Endurance22 team visit Shackleton’s grave to pay their respects and see a new exhibition celebrating his life at the South Georgia Museum 

The Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) and the South Georgia Heritage Trust (SGHT) were delighted to welcome the Endurance22 Expedition Team to South Georgia following their successful location of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s sunken ship the Endurance last week.

The small island of South Georgia, a beacon of hope in international conservation terms due to the recovery of its ecosystem, is also at the heart of another important story. It is synonymous with Shackleton, as the island played host to the beginning and the conclusion of the ill-fated Endurance Expedition (1914-1917) and is also Shackleton’s final resting place. 

The Endurance22 Expedition Team were keen to visit South Georgia to pay respects to Shackleton and toast the explorer at his grave. Whilst there they also visited the South Georgia Museum, operated by SGHT on behalf of GSGSSI, to see an exhibition celebrating Shackleton’s remarkable life and achievements.

Members of the expedition team including Expedition Leader Dr John Shears, and history broadcaster Dan Snow, were able to see artefacts from Endurance that are central to the story, including the almanac used to guide the voyage, a life size replica of the James Caird lifeboat used to reach South Georgia, splinters from the oars and the boat itself, and a scale model of Endurance.

The exhibition ‘Shackleton’s Last Quest’ focuses on Shackleton’s untimely death and his final resting place at Grytviken on the sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia and showcases the significance this small British Overseas Territory played in his story. It also looks at his life and the personal qualities that made him so extraordinary, resulting in him still being revered around the world today, a century after his death. 

Dr John Shears, the Endurance22 Expedition Leader and veteran polar geographer, said: “After our incredible discovery of Shackleton’s ship Endurance in the Weddell Sea, the Endurance22 expedition onboard the S.A. Agulhas II was very fortunate to be able to stop off and visit the island of South Georgia today (11 March 2022).

“The team visited the whaler’s cemetery at Grytviken where the famous polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton is buried and held a short ceremony to commemorate his life and to pay our respects to the great man.

“Shackleton was buried at South Georgia on 5 March 1922, and we discovered his ship the Endurance deep on the seafloor of the Weddell Sea exactly 100 years later on 5 March 2022.

” While the team were at Grytviken we also took the opportunity to visit the South Georgia Museum and viewed their excellent Shackleton exhibition, including several historic artefacts used on the Endurance Expedition.

“Our visit to Grytviken today was a wonderful and fitting way for us to end our historic mission.’

Amanda Milling, FCDO’s Minister for the Polar Regions, said: “Many congratulations to the Endurance22 expedition on successfully locating the final resting place of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance.

“The story of this vessel continues to inspire us to understand and protect Antarctica.”

His Excellency The Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Nigel Phillips CBE said: “I want to pay tribute to the remarkable efforts of the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust in finding the Endurance – it is truly a historic achievement. 

“I recognise also that this success is many years in the making. The story of Shackleton is intimately woven into the story of South Georgia and the Falkland Islands, and what makes this discovery even more remarkable is that it occurred in the centenary year of his passing. I extend my congratulations to everyone aboard Argulhas II, and the wider team across the world.”

Laura Sinclair Willis, Chief Executive of the GSGSSI said: “Everyone in the Government was delighted to hear the news of this historic discovery by the team from Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust.

“We are equally delighted that they were able to visit South Georgia and the Museum at Grytviken and pay their respects at Grytviken cemetery to this extraordinary man.

“It is truly humbling to witness such a momentous occasion in polar history, especially almost one hundred years to the day that Sir Ernest Shackleton was laid to rest on these shores. We enjoyed meeting the expedition team, and joining them in a toast to “The Boss”.’

Alison Neil, Chief Executive of SGHT, the UK charity which manages the Museum on behalf of GSGSSI said: ‘The South Georgia Museum is possibly one of the most remote museums in the world but tells a powerful and important story.

“As curators of the island’s fascinating heritage, we were delighted to be able to showcase the museum’s current Shackleton exhibition to the Endurance22 Expedition Team.

“There can surely be no more appropriate audience than this team of modern-day explorers who through their determination succeeded in finding Shackleton’s lost ship Endurance.

“One of the key locations for the Endurance story on South Georgia is the Manager’s Villa at Stromness, which Shackleton, Worsley and Crean reached after trekking for three days solid across South Georgia’s mountainous centre, having landed on the south side of the island hoping to find help. It was from here that they secured the assistance of the whalers and launched the rescue mission that saved the entire Endurance crew.

“We are in the very early stages of fundraising to undertake a survey of Stromness Whaling Station and the Manager’s Villa to explore how we can preserve the rich heritage of this small island, and further develop the Shackleton legacy.”

An online version of the Shackleton exhibition can be found at:

https://sgmuseum.gs/shackletonslastquest/

Over 80% of tenants satisfied with renting, according to new research

Most people renting their home in the private rented sector are happy with their property and landlord, according to new research from independent think-tank the Social Market Foundation.

The Social Market Foundation found that – contrary to some narratives suggest renting is an inherently unhappy experience – a majority of people who rent from a private landlord are content with what they get for their money.

In an SMF survey of renters, 81% said they are happy with their current property, and 85% said they are satisfied with their landlord.

The greatest source of dissatisfaction among tenants is with “being a renter”, though only a minority of renters (34%) said they are dissatisfied with this status. The SMF said that this suggests that where people are unhappy in the private rented sector it is not about their living circumstances, but about the fact of having to rent rather than own a home.

The SMF findings are contained in a report on the future of the private rented sector which is published today. The report was sponsored by Paragon Bank. The SMF retained editorial independence.

The SMF said despite renters’ current views of renting, major trends in housing over the coming years mean that several policy changes are needed to ensure the rented sector continues to work well for tenants.

Only half of renters expect to leave the private rented sector in the next 15 years, suggesting that significant numbers will remain renters for long periods. Among them, the SMF finds that 13% would be satisfied with long-term renting.

That will see the average age of tenants rising: by 2035, more than half of private renting households are likely to include someone aged 45 or older, the SMF forecast. Couples and families will also make up a rising proportion of renters.

The private rented sector has been under political scrutiny, with the UK Government’s Levelling Up White Paper promising “a secure path to ownership” and a crackdown on “non-decent rented homes”.

Labour, meanwhile, has promised to be the “party of tenants” and raised concern about quality, affordability, and security in private rentals.

The SMF’s research challenges some of the narratives around this policy agenda, and in particular, the assumption that private renting is unsatisfactory and exploitative for the typical renter.

At the same time, it acknowledges that a minority of renters have particularly negative experiences and so endorses measures expected to be in the rental reform white paper (due in spring), such as abolition of ‘no-fault’ evictions and introduction of a Decent Homes standard for rental properties.

The SMF’s key recommendation is to enable renters to build wealth while remaining in the private rental sector, addressing their number one concern: the financial opportunity cost of renting, which have prevented savings, for a deposit or later life needs.

Several innovative schemes could be implemented, including ‘deposit builder ISAs’ that offer a financial return on deposits, or ‘rentership’ models that offer tenants stakes in their building.

Other SMF recommendations to the UK Government:

  • Increase the stability of tenancy agreements – A large majority of renters support a fixed minimum contract length: 69% would be in favour of setting this at 24 months.
  • Giving renters more control over their homes – making it easier to keep pets or make reasonable alterations, such as to décor or energy efficiency.
  • Increase the accountability of landlords – Through a ‘Good Home, Good Landlord’ kitemark scheme, developed in consultation with renters to recognise landlords that offer good, and not just decent, accommodation.
  • Improve the standards of private rented properties – Offer tax incentives for landlords to invest in improvements that align with Good Home Good Landlord kitemark standards, including green investments.

Aveek Bhattacharya, SMF Economist and one of the report authors, said: “Dominant cultural narratives about the private rented sector paint a misleading picture. In contrast to the horror stories that get wide circulation, the majority of renters are satisfied with their living conditions and have decent relationships with their landlords.

“It is absolutely right that the Government should seek to help the minority with poor standard accommodation and unprofessional landlords.

“At the same time, it needs to think harder about what it can offer the typical renter – who is largely happy with their circumstances today, but has doubts about whether they want to keep renting long-term.”

“Giving renters more control over their homes – allowing them to keep pets or decorate would help. So would incentivizing landlords to make improvements to properties to make them good, and not just decent. But perhaps the biggest challenge is developing policies that can persuade renters that they are not missing out financial security and stability if they don’t own their home.”

Paragon Bank Managing Director of Mortgages Richard Rowntree said: “The outdated and tired cliches around privately renting need to be challenged and I welcome the findings from SMF’s report.

“In our experience, the vast majority of landlords seek to provide a good quality home and enjoy a healthy relationship with their tenants; the significant investment in private rented property by landlords has helped drive up standards over the past 15 years and today homes in the sector are generally newer, larger and more energy efficient than ever before.

“We always seek ways to improve the experience of renting further and welcome the recommendations contained in the report. People from all walks of life now call the private rented sector home and we must strive to create a sector that meets everybody’s needs.”

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