FOLLOWING some publicity, and to its credit, Stockton Borough Council has informed tenants that it has decided to reduce its increase in rent, which will be backdated to the beginning of this financial year – April.

However, it is important to point out that the council was only able to do this because of a Government decision to cap council rent increases and in March the then Housing Minister, Margaret Beckett, pledged £175m to help tenants through challenging economic times.

This announcement from the Government failed to mention that housing association tenants would be excluded from the help on offer.

Many authorities which only have housing association homes and are therefore excluded from Government help include Middlesbrough, with 15,557 properties; Redcar and Cleveland, 12,390; and Hartlepool, 9,705.

It is therefore misleading for Stockton council to assure its tenants that if council housing is transferred to a housing association they will not pay any more in rent than they would if homes stayed with the council.

Keith Dewison, Billingham.