Tenant eviction companies have welcomed the government's move to delay capping housing benefits for people already claiming it.

Ministers have deferred the money saving exercise until 2012, which will stop a surge in landlords booting out tenants behind on the rent, according to tenant eviction company Landlord Action.

The so called section 21 notices could have affected some 80,000 tenants in London alone had they come in to force sooner, according to some estimates.

"Both landlords and tenants would require more time to accept the changes and April 2011 was always far too soon" said Paul Shamplina, founder of Landlord Action.

"If the new rates became effective then, as was originally planned, I believe there would have been a surge in the number of Section 21 notices that were served by landlords who would have been worried that their tenant was unable to top up housing benefit payments.

"Thankfuly, the powers that be have woken up and seen the reality that this situation would have caused more homelessness.

"At least now, tenants have time to find alternative accommodation that falls within the budgetary requirements."