Landlords lodged two claims to repossess properties from tenants in Copeland in the three months to December, new figures have revealed.

Ministry of Justice data shows two possession claims were submitted for tenants’ homes in the area between October and December.

That was just one more than the previous three months, but below the 22 claims made during the same period in 2019.

In the three months to December, there were also:

-One order for a tenant to leave their home by a certain date

-One suspended possession order letting a tenant stay, providing they keep up their payments and pay back funds owed

And two warrants to evict people in breach of previous orders

The UK Government recently extended a ban on evictions – put in place to stop renters becoming homeless during the coronavirus pandemic – until the end of March.

But it had previously been lifted in September before being reinstated during the second lockdown.

While landlords can still issue possession claims in court, bailiffs are not allowed to evict people under the ban except in certain cases, including when tenants have built up significant arrears.

In January, the Government lowered the eviction threshold from nine months’ rent arrears to six months, and removed a condition that debt built up during the pandemic could not be counted.

Research published by the Resolution Foundation said that hundreds of thousands of families have fallen into housing debt due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A government spokesman said: “Our increases to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit of up to £1,040 for the year are helping to reduce rent arrears.

“Councils can also provide additional support to renters through the £180 million Discretionary Housing Payment scheme.

“This support to prevent rent arrears, our ban on bailiff evictions except for the most serious of cases and our action to extend notice periods has seen the number of repossessions between October and December down 93% from the same quarter in 2019.”