Concerns over town's rent arrears
Sign up to the weekly West Lothian Courier newsletter for the latest West Lothian news and sport.Bathgate’s housing office has seen a surge in rent arrears this year as households have been hit effects of the Covid pandemic and the roll-out of Universal Credit.The town’s Local Area Committee heard a grim list of growing numbers from Lorraine Donnelly as she revealed figures for the period including the initial lockdown.The arrears position for Bathgate in the first quarter of 2020/21 was £434,493 - an increase of £87,828 on last year’s position.The number of tenancies in arrears in the ward increased by 63 since last year.