Housing Benefit Cuts for Under-21s Would Be Disastrous

How will George Osborne cut £12bn from the welfare bill? It’s looking increasingly likely that plans to remove housing benefit from 18- to 21-year-olds who are unemployed and claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance will be form part of it. From more than four decades of experience supporting homeless young people, we know that the vast majority of young people who claim housing benefit do so as a lifeline at a time of crisis, not as a lifestyle choice. Among these young people are care leavers who have no home to return to and individuals who have fled domestic violence. Then there are those who have left home to find work and claim housing benefit to bridge the gap between their wages and ever-increasing rents. Read more on the Guardian website.