"NONE of them could raise the actual market rent through the benefits system. The structure of the system requires them to use a significant part of their living allowance to pay the rent."

All true. And all also a consequence of the big sell off of public housing as overseen by Thatcher. One generation did terribly well out of that scheme (I know one couple, now retired, who were able to buy up not just one but two council houses at 50% of their real value) but now their children and grandchildren will do less well - at least in part - as a consequence.

In fact there is a building wave of anger amongst generation Y against their elders who have - so far as they can see - gobbled up all the pie and lapped up all the cream, and left them with nought but the pips to swallow. Simplistic perhaps, but when considering that generation Y will be the ones caring for those same elders once they are geriatrics one wonders what kinds of "geriatric care" they will be willing to fund in a couple of decades..