The Government is examining a proposal which would stop people under 25 from receiving housing benefit.
If the Government decides to adopt the proposal, it could make landlords and agents nervous about accepting younger tenants, who would not be eligible for Local Housing Allowance if they need help with rent in future.
Currently, younger people can draw a ‘single’ LHA benefit, covering them for a room in a private shared house. The benefit was available up to the age of 25, but was recently extended to 35-year-olds.
However, the Government’s policy unit is now looking at preventing young people under 25 from receiving housing benefit and instead forcing them to live with their parents.
Shelter has expressed its unhappiness at the proposal.
Kay Boycott, director of policy and campaigns, said: “At Shelter we know that many young people simply don’t have family and friends to fall back on if they lose their job, and rely on housing support to keep a roof over their head. If true, these proposals would leave thousands of vulnerable young people, many of whom may have experienced family breakdown or abuse, with nowhere else to go.
“And since previous changes to housing benefit will force people with spare rooms to downsize and penalise those with adult children living at home, these policies appear completely contradictory.
“It’s outrageous that the Government is considering undermining the housing safety net yet again. Sadly it seems inevitable that we’ll see an increase in homelessness as a result.’
Comments
The UK is bankrupt. Under 25s should never have been given housing benefit in the first place.
The UK's social security budget has doubled over the last ten years.
F**k the feckless!
Absolutely right Neil.
And while they're at it they should send Johnny Foreigner home again. Next thing we know those wooly minded liberals will be telling us we can't shoot elephants without giving a single thought as to where we're going to get our ivory or umbrella stands from
By the way, does anyone know what a bigot is? Some long haired communist student called me one the other day.
Harrumph.
Second paragraph is a misplace idea.
If Landlords were worried about what might happen to tenants in the future they'd never ley anything to anyone.
Can someone explain the comment about spare rooms in the penultimate paragraph to me?
Excellent joke Neil. Your obvious parody of a Daily Mail reader made me smile.
At long last all these "immaculate conceptions" to unknown fathers will finally stop to single unemployed mothers. Perhaps if they stayed at home with their parents they may be forced to get a job!!