Housing benefit and tenant coping strategies in the private rental housing market

In this paper we report findings of interviews with housing benefit claimants whose eligible rent for housing benefit was less than the contractual rent 'agreed' with their landlord. Linking into debates about the usefulness of the concept of 'strategy' in social analysis, we consider whether the claimants interviewed pursued strategies in coping with the shortfalls in their eligible rent for housing benefit. Though claimants often had difficulty in pursuing 'strategies' successfully the research shows that most of those interviewed did try to act strategically. They were not simply the passive victims of circumstances beyond their control.