Housing minister, John Healey is looking to help working tenants stay out of debt and thinks this group is often overlooked.

During a Tenants and Residents Associations Organisation (TAROE) annual conference in Bristol last week, Mr Healey also outlined proposals for a pilot project as part of his political commitments to increase housing mobility - which will in turn increase the number of housing association jobs. 

Healey's Homefinder scheme will assist tenants to move, in order to be able to work in other areas. This scheme will be trialled in the North East and North West, including in the Yorkshire and Humber areas.

The announcement also revealed that he will put in £1.3 million to assist thousands of working tenants in fifteen areas, claim benefits and tax credits - as well as access training and financial advice. His final announcement was that there will be a fundamental review of the current CLG Tenant Empowerment Grant programme, to make sure grants are spent on appropriate projects in the right places.

Essentially, what the Homefinder scheme does is help those who are losing their home and cannot afford to raise the deposit needed for somewhere else. The scheme provides people with that much needed deposit. The majority of people eligible for the scheme will be receiving welfare benefits or be on a low income; this means that they will also be eligible for Housing Benefit. As part of the scheme, Housing Benefit applications are fast tracked.

The rent however, is the responsibility of the tenant as the tenancy agreement is a contract between landlord and tenant.