Housing Benefit: Young People – Parliamentary Written Answer

Graham Jones: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the savings to the public purse which will accrue from changes in housing benefit for people under 21 years of age.

Mr David Gauke: The Government is ending automatic entitlement to the housing element of Universal Credit – which is gradually replacing Housing Benefit - for out-of-work 18-21 years olds. This is forecast to save £100m over this Parliament.

Home Ownership Incentive Schemes – Parliamentary Written Answer

Grant Shapps:  To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has been spent from the public purse on advertising the Government's Own Your Home scheme.

Mr Marcus Jones: In 2015/2016 spend on the campaign has been approximately £4 million. Activity consisted of radio, press and consumer advertising, out of home on-street bus stop posters, digital and Facebook advertising and a series of 'How to' online videos promoted through You Tube. On average around 140 people are helped through government home buying schemes every day and over 335,000 households have been helped to buy a property since 2010, through schemes like Help to Buy and the reinvigorated Right to Buy.

Only £3m Saved By Cutting Housing Benefit

Proposed cuts to housing benefit would save the public purse just £3m – not the £120m announced recently by David Cameron – and could force thousands of young people back on to the streets. In fact, research by Heriot-Watt University and campaign group End Youth Homelessness (EYH) shows that only 140 more young people than estimated need to become homeless for it to start costing the taxpayer.  Read more on the Centrepoint website.