Senior councillors in Euclid Street are continuing to lobby the town's two Conservative MPs about Universal Credit.

Labour councillor Emma Bushell, who speaks for the opposition group on housing asked Coun Cathy Martyn, the Conservative cabinet member for housing and public safety about an expected bad debt over the next financial year of £620,000 - caused by tenants being unable top pay their rent.

She said: "Have you written to the government about Universal Credit, and the pressure it's putting on tenants and their families and the difficulty people on Universal Credit might have in meeting their rent?"

Coun Martyn said: "We have met with both MPs and ongoing communications with the Department for work and Pensions."

One of the issues, Coun Martyn said, is that Universal Credit is paid monthly, while the council charges its tenants weekly: "A year might have 51,52 or in some cases 53 rent weeks. DWP said we could change to charging monthly to fit Universal Credit, or they're looking at perhaps paying weekly."