How we used local evidence to ask for change in October: Our latest R&C work

Every day, people come to Citizens Advice Middlesbrough for help with benefits, debt, housing and energy costs. We use this to collect evidence to find problems that affect many people, and we use this evidence to ask for fairer rules and better services.

Here is what we worked on in October.

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Asking for better help with private rent

Local Housing Allowance, or LHA, helps some private renters pay their rent.

LHA does not always cover the full rent. People must pay the gap from their other income, leaving less for food, heating and other basic needs.

The Citizens Advice report Exploring the links between frozen Local Housing Allowance and employment showed that rent shortfalls can make it harder for people to:

• Find or stay in work
• Work more hours
• Pay for travel or childcare
• Stay near work, schools or support

We emailed our local MPs and asked them to meet us to discuss the Budget and unfreezing LHA. We met with Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, and explained how frozen LHA rates affect local people, sharing our evidence and insights.

Unfortunately, the Autumn Budget did not increase LHA. We have asked Andy to keep raising this issue with the Government.

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Responding to the Autumn Budget

We looked at what the Autumn Budget could mean for people in Middlesbrough.

We know problems are often linked. A benefit problem can lead to a rent shortfall, leaving less money for food and heating. Debt can then grow. We also know that free advice can help before a problem reaches crisis point.

You can read our full Autumn Budget response on LinkedIn.

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Continuing our council tax work

The Government published its response to a review of council tax enforcement. This is a step forward, but more change is needed. We still want checks to make sure payments are affordable and find out if someone needs extra support. We also want protection for people working with their council, stronger limits on bailiff action and better Council Tax Support.

We also responded to Middlesbrough Council’s proposed Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2027/28.

We will keep collecting evidence about council tax and enforcement, and push for a fairer system.

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Calling for action for children

The Children’s Commissioner published The Childhood Lottery. It named Middlesbrough as one of the hardest places in England for a child to grow up.

We said this must lead to action. It must not be used to blame or shame Middlesbrough or the people who live here. People should not be blamed for problems caused by low income, poor housing, health inequality or a lack of services. You can read our response to The Childhood Lottery report on Facebook.

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Thank you

Thank you to everyone who shares their story with us. Your experiences help us give advice today. They can also help prevent the same problems affecting other people in the future.