MPs have slammed banks for “discriminating” against tenants on housing benefit and suggested the government may need to ban them from operating “no DSS” policies.
NatWest was criticised in October after it emerged that the bank prohibited many of its buy-to-let landlord borrowers from having tenants on housing benefit. The case, involving landlord Helena McAleer and her tenant, a vulnerable older woman, came to national prominence after the Guardian published an article headlined: “NatWest, is it right to evict a woman on housing benefit?”
The Commons work and pensions committee has intervened, saying the government must address the “housing blacklist” created by mortgage lenders’ “no DSS” policies.
