Housing safety nets for young people being scrapped by Tories


Young Londoners – Forced Out? Campaign launch

Suzanne Beishon, organiser of the ‘Young Londoners – Forced Out?’ campaign said: “The plans to scrap housing benefit for under-25s is another example of this Tory government ripping away every safety net that exists to protect young people from poverty and homelessness.

The government claim that these plans are to stop rewarding the unemployed ahead of low paid young workers who can’t afford to move out. This outrageous claim serves to bring the race to the bottom to the housing sector.

In reality, chronic low pay and an increase in people forced to take on part-time work as a result of mass unemployment has meant that in the last two years 93% of the Housing Benefit claimant increase has actually been in working households as young people struggle to plug the gap between their low pay and soaring rent.

Young people are being forced to pay for a crisis created by the banks and big business by a millionaire government blind to the isolation and poverty they are forcing thousands of young people into.

We are organising a fight back. The ‘Young Londoners – Forced Out?’ campaign has been taking to the universities and the streets of London, bringing together young people and trade unionists, to fight back against low pay and attacks on housing.

The campaign launch meeting takes place on 17th April, 7.30pm in the University of London Union (ULU).”

For interviews and comment contact:

Suzanne on 07716610893 or 02085587947 or [email protected]

The ‘Young Londoners – Forced Out?’ campaign is being launched on the 17th April by the Youth Fight for Jobs campaign, Unite 1111 (The Unite Housing Workers Branch), PCS London and PCS London young members network.