Housing benefit cuts for young people may be scaled back – so who will the Tories attack instead?
Charities remain concerned that, despite proposed exemptions, more young people will end up living on the streets [Image: Tony Margiocchi/Barcroft Images].
Some bright spark has finally made the dinosaurs in the cabinet realise that the plan to deny housing benefit to people aged between 18 and 21 will be more costly to the public purse than letting them have the money.
It is the first instance of Tories realising they were cutting off their collective nose to spite their face, certainly since This Writer started publishing Vox Political in 2011.
But they will want to make cuts elsewhere to balance their spending plans. With the Tories, somebody poor always pays.
Controversial plans to strip young people aged 18 to 21 of housing benefit are being reconsidered by ministers amid fears in Whitehall that they would add to the homelessness bill and run contrary to Theresa May’s pledge to govern for the most needy in society.
The Observer understands that the policy, announced by David Cameron and George Osborne and due to be introduced in April, is being looked at again, as housing and homeless organisations warn it will cause grave hardship and force cash-strapped councils to meet higher costs for emergency accommodation.
Opposition parties have highlighted how the number of people sleeping rough in England has risen for six years in a row with London, where property and rental costs have soared, accounting for 23% of the total. Housing charities say the policy will also mean young people having to stay longer in hostels rather than finding their own places to live.
Source: Housing benefit cuts for young people may be scaled back | Society | The Guardian
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I suspect pensioners will be their next target. They are already planning moves along this road. The irony is that many pensioners actually vote for the Tories. In fact it is said that the vast majority of Tory Party members are in the over 60s age group.
Wow ….. a brain cell must have rolled into a common sense stem somewhere in Government. Unfortunately there are far to many other areas these lame brains have got to wake up to. Just saw on Southern BBC that Crapita are incentivised to ensure x number of disabled car users lose their mobility cars. If this is correct then it makes sense that all the other benefits schemes have, as suspected, a private company incentive element implanted into their contracts. So much for outsourcing and fairness.
“But they will want to make cuts elsewhere to balance their spending plans. With the Tories, somebody poor always pays.”,,,,,,,,,,,Yes Mike. Pensioners.
Isn’t this the group most likely to be doing what the tories want and attending tertiary education, so they can increase charges for others on the grounds that they are making it easier for this group?
Everybody else will be hit, like we have been since 2010!