David Cameron has announced plans to scrap housing benefit for the under 25s. This is in a bid to make further cuts to welfare expenditure. It is estimated that this would save approximately £1.8 billion a year and affect around 380,000 people.
This would mean many young people moving back to live in the family home placing the onus on the individual families to support the young person as opposed to the state. It is thought however, that there will be exemptions for special circumstances.
There are many advantages and disadvantages to this proposal. On the one hand this would save a significant amount on the welfare bill each year and potentially increase the number of social housing properties available in turn reducing homelessness figures for the over 25s.
However, it has been said that this could lead to an increase in demand for prison places. As many young people under 25 receiving housing benefit at the moment have no families or support and ultimately could lead to an increase in levels of homelessness in the under 25s, if they have no family to support them.
David Cameron has explained that this plan is part of a move to readdress the balance whereby some young people are living with their parents, working hard but are not getting any state help whilst others are in their own properties, rely on state benefits and make little effort to seek work.
Some might argue therefore, that the proposal may have a motivational element if young people are encouraged to find work in order to move out of the family home to afford to pay their own rent.
Time will tell whether this plan becomes policy and the potential affects of any drastic change to the welfare bill. Discussions on the exact details of the plan are to take place in the near future.
By housing law expert, Jessica Hogg