New data published by The Telegraph has shown that record levels of social housing has been allocated to households earning at least £50,000 per year, the highest figure since 2007 when records began.
More than 2,190 homes were allocated to households earning over £50k in 2024-25, almost double the amount of the year before, and a significant increase from the 270 high earning households allocated social housing in 2021-22. 225 of the households earning over £50k are reported to be earning in excess of £70k per year.
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Social housing allocations have been a point of contention over recent months, first making waves following a research report from Crisis that condemned the allocations system as deeply flawed and in need of reform. The report highlighted the counterintuitive nature of the system, as significant barriers were found to prevent social housing going to the lowest earning households, those the sector is intended to serve. Since then, organisations such as the G15 and the London Assembly Housing Committee have both taken aim at the allocation system, with one report calling it “opaque, confusing and unfair”.
The issue is on the radar for Westminster however, with the recent Kings’ Speech bringing with it a promise to review social housing allocations amongst other commitments, such as further support for domestic abuse survivors. Despite the recent announcements, the question lingers as to whether the allocation system would have come to such a boiling point if Labour had not abandoned previous plans from the Conservative government to introduce a maximum income threshold for new social housing residents.
The figures has drawn ridicule from many, and has become the latest turn of bad news for Labour after a disastrous set of local election results saw support for Reform UK surge across the country.
Sir James Cleverly, the shadow housing secretary, said: “On Labour’s watch, much-needed social housing is going to well-off people at the taxpayers’ expense and nothing is done about it.
“Labour should act to stop the taxpayer being ripped off.”
A spokesperson for Labour said that the rise in high earners can be explained by wage increases driven by a rise in inflation, which has naturally increased the amount being earned by many families, and noted that this income level represented just 2% of new social housing lettings.
