December 2024 survey shows total arrears down 8% on Universal Credit accounts

The National Housing Federation (NHF) reported that total rent arrears on Universal Credit accounts across its sampled housing associations stood at £58m in December 2024, down 8% compared with September 2024. Arrears for residents paying by other means totalled £23m, also down 8% over the same period¹.

The survey, which collects data at the end of each quarter, also found that the proportion of general needs residents claiming Universal Credit continued to rise, from 48% in September 2024 to 51% in December 2024¹. Universal Credit claimants remained more likely to be in rent arrears than residents paying by other means, at 48% compared with 28%, although the NHF said the proportion in arrears had decreased for all residents compared with previous quarters¹.

Average arrears per Universal Credit claimant in arrears were £641 in December 2024, compared with £468 per resident paying by other means¹. The NHF said claimants "continue to be in higher levels of arrears" than other residents¹.

The NHF describes the survey as a quarterly exercise that builds "a long-term picture and track[s] the impact of new policies and economic turbulence", and says results are shared with the Department for Work and Pensions "to directly influence Universal Credit policy and practice"¹. The page does not report a DWP response to the December 2024 figures.

Why it matters for households

The figures cover housing association tenants in general needs homes, a group where just over half were claiming Universal Credit at the end of December 2024¹. For those households, the rent element of Universal Credit is paid as part of the benefit award, so arrears can build when payments are reduced, delayed or diverted. The survey records the total stock of arrears rather than individual debts, so the 8% fall describes the aggregate position across participating landlords, not the position of any one tenant¹.

The gap between the two groups remains: claimants were both more likely to be in arrears (48% against 28%) and owed more on average (£641 against £468)¹. The NHF has previously reported that this gap narrowed over the year to September 2025, when average arrears were £639 for Universal Credit accounts and £500 for other accounts, a difference of £139, compared with a difference of £240 in September 2024¹. Those later figures are outside the December 2024 reporting period.

Households dealing with deductions from Universal Credit, including Advance repayments, may see the amount paid towards rent reduced. The survey does not break down arrears by cause, and no figures on deductions are given¹.

What happens next

The NHF says it collects the data at the end of each quarter and updates the page regularly¹. No date for the next publication is given on the page. The survey results are shared with DWP officials, according to the NHF¹.