Next threat to under-25s: Housing Benefit


Suzanne Beishon

Chancellor George Osborne’s 2012 Budget seems to provide new sources of anger every week. Con-Dem ministers’ recent kite-flying exercise about where the threatened further £10 billion of benefit cuts could come from will add to the desperation and rage of young people whose future is under attack.

They have raised the idea that no one under 25 should get housing benefit – people are supposed to go back to live with their parents, or on the streets.

The government claims that these plans are to stop ‘rewarding’ the unemployed ahead of low-paid young workers.

In the last two years, 93% of the housing benefit claimant increase has actually been from working households. This is because of chronic low pay and an increase in people forced to take on part-time work as a result of mass unemployment. Young people are struggling to plug the gap between their low pay and soaring rent.

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 17 April, 7.30pm in the University of London Union (ULU). For more information see www.youthfightforjobs.com