Benefit claimants must get the Government help they need once its welfare reforms take effect, an industry body has warned.

Propertymark said while many will acknowledge the need to reset Universal Credit payments and provide an uplift to the Disabled Facilities Grants, more must be done to ensure that grants are utilised efficiently and effectively across the country.

The proposals announced by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall include £5billion of cuts, which have been criticised by disability groups as the “biggest cuts to disability benefits on record”.

Fewer people will be eligible for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) according to the Resolution Foundation think tank, which estimates that about one million people will lose their right to it completely.

Generation Rent believes cutting spending on welfare could force private renters out of their homes and has urged the Government to listen to anti-poverty organisations and back-track on proposals.

Deputy chief executive Dan Wilson Craw said: “Just 9% of private rented homes are accessible, meaning many renters living with a disability are forced to pay inflated rents due to a lack of choice, or live in homes that aren’t suitable for their needs.

“Many renters use their PIP to supplement their rent, meaning these changes could lead to them being forced out of their homes.”

Ahead of a planned freeze of housing benefit rates in April, figures show almost half of all private renters who receive Local Housing Allowance experience a shortfall between their payment and monthly rent, according to analysis by the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA).

Propertymark’s Nathan Emerson added: “The UK Government must not lose sight of the need to adequately set Local Housing Allowance rates as we know this provides vital support to those that need it and makes it easier for tenants in the private rented sector to access and sustain their tenancies.”