Should families under 25 lose housing benefit?

In principal I was initially in favour of this proposed legislation. Looking at things more integrally, however, I'm starting to have doubts.

Good? Bad? Devil in the detail?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9352432/Stripping-under-25s-of-benefits-will-knock-young-families-off-career-ladder-claims-Labour.html

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Reply 1

concubine

Yeah. **** over the young people that are more likely to be in lower paying jobs.

BRILLIANT PLAN.

Reply 2

Snagprophet

Not sure why anyone under 25 would have kids.

Reply 3

inksplodge

It's not just families - it's individuals as well. I'm fully against it. Housing benefit is a lifeline for a lot of people, including new graduates without jobs.

Reply 4

Tiger Rag

And live where, exactly? Not everyone has relatives who can take them in.

Reply 5

34253

So let me get this straight; The 18-25 category no longer get anything - no help with uni costs, very few jobs available, and no housing benefit, but they are the ones who are expected to pick up the tab for everything for everyone else? The families, the elderly etc? I am going to avoid all the tax I can at all costs. Even if saving £1 means I give £1 to an accountant instead of the government. I say this as a conservative.

Reply 6

concubine

Original post by Elipsis

And the best bit is that it's being taken away by the very people that had everything.

Huzzah. : D

Reply 7

34253

Original post by concubine

And the best bit is that it's being taken away by the very people that had everything.

Huzzah. : D

Yeah they were all in on the good times. I am sick of hearing people say they didn't cause this crisis. Err... you took out a mortgage for 1/4 million when you were on a 20k a year salary working in some pen pusher job for Labour? I think you most certainly were in on the little ruse. Well the music stopped and you made damn sure it was your children who got left without a seat instead of you.

Reply 8

Subology

Coupled with the regional pay proposals I think this could really be detrimental for the movement of people. Disastrous for social mobility. People will be stuck where ever they happen to be born. So no matter what they do to educate themselves, and make themselves employable, they may find themselves handicapped because they where born in a poor area of the country. The result? The poorer regions see decline.

Reply 9

concubine

Original post by Elipsis

Eh. It's somewhat unfair to blame an entire generation for the actions of relatively few. I just find it quite disgusting how so many people that had it so well have the ****ing balls to talk the way they do about younger people in general these days. Especially as the views held by them leads to proposals like this which look simply to screw vulnerable groups over even more.

I find it amazing when older people bring up the 'I worked all my life, I deserve my pension and retirement' blablabla. As if younger people aren't going to be expected to work for longer, for less.

Reply 10

Tiger Rag

We really need someone who lives in the real world in power. Not people who have been handed everything on a plate and earn 4 times the average wage.

Reply 11

Fusion

Wouldn't be surprised if this was announced to make Jimmy Carr more of a public enemey number one, and of course it'll look great when they announce they're not going ahead with the policy.

Reply 12

iSMark

Original post by Snagprophet

Not sure why anyone under 25 would have kids.

Why?

You can easily be mature enough to look after another human before reaching 25.

Reply 13

Aphotic Cosmos

This government really is a fracking joke.

Reply 14

Snagprophet

Original post by iSMark

Why?

You can easily be mature enough to look after another human before reaching 25.

If someone can get a stable income and house before 25 then I don't see any issue with them having kids. It won't be a drag on the government. Of course, everyone can get child benefit but this is the sort that people live off.

Reply 15

fire2burn

I doubt they'll go ahead with it because it will face huge opposition from Labour, Lib Dems, homeless charities, etc.

Not everyone has the luxury of being able to move back home should they lose their job and require support. They might have parents who have alcohol/drugs issues, parents who are in prison or have moved abroad, or parents who just point blank refuse to take them back due to family breakup, etc.

In the long term these proposals could lead to tens of thousands being left homeless and the resulting increase in begging/crime that would bring would far outweigh the costs providing housing benefit. All in all silly proposals which I don't see going anywhere. A flip flop policy which will be withdrawn at a later date.