Housing benefit to be scrapped for the under 25's

[Scamp]

Just before I say what I think, I want to say this won't affect me so that isn't changing my judgement. I've worked since I was 16, I wanted to go college and uni but didn't because if I didn't get a ft job asap we would of been homeless. My hubby has worked since he was 17, we have a child which we pay for and we've never claimed any sort of benefit.

I think it's disgusting what DC wants to do. He has no idea what it's like to not be able to get a job or struggle to afford food.
What about those that have genuinely been searching for a job for a long time. To cut hb for under 25s would mean their parents have to support them, what about the families that can't afford to support their grown up children or don't have the space?
He's an idiot that has no idea what it's like to live in the real world.

But, I doubt very much it will happen. There's no way it'll get through so those worrying, I really wouldn't.

 

[Scamp]

Maybe they need to look at the housing benefit they pay to asylum seekers before looking at the next generation of the country.

But genuine asylum seekers need shelter from the things they are escaping from. My Mum's friend and her family had to leave behind their house, their belongings, their friends and their family because her Dad was a politcian and threats were made on all of their lives. I think they are every bit as deserving of help.

It depends on situation. You're friends deserve help if they are in danger but there are plenty who take the piss a bit

 

[DanielleM]

Maybe they need to look at the housing benefit they pay to asylum seekers before looking at the next generation of the country.

But genuine asylum seekers need shelter from the things they are escaping from. My Mum's friend and her family had to leave behind their house, their belongings, their friends and their family because her Dad was a politcian and threats were made on all of their lives. I think they are every bit as deserving of help.

It depends on situation. You're friends deserve help if they are in danger but there are plenty who take the piss a bit

If her Dad was a Politician so obviously in a high power position, then why did his own Country not help with the problem? What about all the under 25 year olds that are going to be out on the street of this is passed through?

I know that these are extreme cases but how many articles have you seen when asylum seekers are being handed £2million houses in London? Why not place them up north were it is cheaper, they don't have any family connections?

 

[Scamp]

Maybe they need to look at the housing benefit they pay to asylum seekers before looking at the next generation of the country.

But genuine asylum seekers need shelter from the things they are escaping from. My Mum's friend and her family had to leave behind their house, their belongings, their friends and their family because her Dad was a politcian and threats were made on all of their lives. I think they are every bit as deserving of help.

It depends on situation. You're friends deserve help if they are in danger but there are plenty who take the piss a bit

If her Dad was a Politician so obviously in a high power position, then why did his own Country not help with the problem? What about all the under 25 year olds that are going to be out on the street of this is passed through?

I know that these are extreme cases but how many articles have you seen when asylum seekers are being handed £2million houses in London? Why not place them up north were it is cheaper, they don't have any family connections?

I agree with this

 

[SnuggleMum]

I didn't disagree with anything he said during his speech, I do think we need to give the benefits system (and the culture surrounding it) a major overhaul. I'm not sure there are any easy answers with the young people and HB thing. It all comes down to 'who is responsible' - who should provide for young people? Parents? The State? Themselves? Is there a way to encourage people to provide for themselves, with a safety net? That is what the current system is supposed to do, but obviously isn't working. There are so many NEETs - what can be done about it? Whose responsibility is it? I'm not sure what the answer is, but I think the rest of the suggestions in the speech all sound good though.

 

[Tasha]

Because they are from Sierra Leone, and it was during the period of civil war. The people that took control were the opposite to the one her Dad was a politician of, so they had to flee as their lives were in danger. 50,000 people lost their lives at that time.

I 100% agree with you about moving north, the problem is that it is the local council's responsiblity to home when they claim asylum. I live right near Heathrow so my council's responsiblity to take care of people who come in from there, so COMPLETELY understand your frustrations. Just dont think it is black and white, is all.

I dont agree with this, as I have said. I just dont think people in genuine need - be that a 25 year old and 24 year old couple, with a child working their butt off by needing HB to make ends meet, an OAP who needs topping up pension credits or a GENUINE asylum seeker, should be getting shafted when there are many rich people who arent being made to feel the pinch in any way at all.

 

[Harveysmum369]

I think the whole issue is that HB should be a top up...not something you assume you'll get all of....

 

[SnuggleMum]

I don't support taxing the rich, although I think the rich shouldn't have access to benefits or council houses. I think I'd like a complete overhaul. Raise the threshold at which someone starts to pay take, and then have a flat tax rate across the board - for everyone. Everyone pays the same - perhaps something like 15%. No WTC, CTC or anything, level playing field for everyone. No housing benefit either, just a higher threshold for tax. That way, the more you work, the more you earn. No big squeeze on the middle earners.

Not sure how to manage the out of work though. I think that JSA should be limited - people should be encouraged to make provisions for possible spells out of work.

Benefits for the disabled would be managed separately.

The whole system is just way too complicated, and there are undoubtedly rewards in the wrong place. It needs to be overhauled. I think the benefits system should be for emergencies only, and not as a long-term thing for anyone but the disabled.

 

[kittycat18]

I think the whole situation is extremely unclear. It's as if David Cameron believes that everyone under the age of 25 shouldn't be getting financial support when they really need it. I mean you are an adult at 18. You can vote, you can drive, you can get married, you can drink alcohol, you can own a home etc. I do believe that there are a lot of people of all ages out there taking advantage of the benefits system but it is the younger ones who will be punished for it. I understand that there are people out there who are under 25, get pregnant, go on benefits and that's there life. But what about the people who are trying so hard to get out of that? I got pregnant using contraception with my partner and I lived with my parents until LO was 3 months and became unbearable (as said previously). I'm not in a council house and we don't have flats/apartments where in my town. There are some but they are where the Housing Executive put asylum seekers, drug addicts, alcoholics and people who have recently been released from prison. What kind of place would that be to live with a child?

I just wish that the government wouldn't tar every young person with the same brush when there are mums like me trying so damn hard to make something of myself and have a good career and life for my daughter. It's absolutely disgusting and makes me extremely angry. I want to know what the government are doing about the people who abuse the system, people who pretend to be ill to claim DLA, people who are claiming JSA but still working for cash in hand etc! I see a lot of this where I live and let me tell you, not many of them are under 25.

Sorry for the rant

 

[RachA]

TBH i think that having a go about DC isn't the best thing - basically he's actually trying to reduce the deficit that this country got into because Labour handed out a heck of a lot of money when they were in power. While it's unlikely that these changes will come in with the coalition something does have to be done with the benefits. I don't envy the tories the job they have at all. Wherever they make cuts they will get shot down in flames for it. It's likely that if Labour get in again that rather than try and reduce our deficit they will increase it again which in the long term will cause problems in the UK. You cannot sustain long term spending and at some point the deficit will have to be reduced and it will affect people. The more we go into debt as a country the more people it will start to effect if/when changes are made to benefits/taxes/etc. The county is not in a good state at all. Interest rates are a joke, people who rely on savings to live (i.e. pensioners) are struggling, however if they ever do actually go up then those with mortgages will cry that they are being forced out of their homes as they can't afford their mortgages anymore.
Any changes to anything financial has a negative impact of someone somewhere but unless it affects us we don't really seem to care (I'm not talking about people on here i'm talking about people generally).

 

[kittycat18]

I just don't understand how they can justify cutting £2 million on Housing Benefit and potentially put families on the streets but spend £52 million on the olympics.

 

[RachA]

I just don't understand how they can justify cutting £2 million on Housing Benefit and potentially put families on the streets but spend £52 million on the olympics.

I don't know for sure but i am assuming that they are expecting a lot of income from tourism for the olympics etc and so hope to re-coup the money.

 

[kittycat18]

I don't know for sure but i am assuming that they are expecting a lot of income from tourism for the olympics etc and so hope to re-coup the money.

I am assuming so but I don't know if I am convinced. You see, I am in Northern Ireland so we have different views on the olympics etc because it isn't happening here. I know a lot of my family and friends think it's a waste of time but I suppose it depends if it's your thing or not

 

[RachA]

I know what you mean. We aren't that far from London and Weymouth so therefore we're in a good place for it. Because of that we are quite excited about it. Although having said that i do think it's a stupid amount of money that it's costing.

 

[Eternal]

I don't support taxing the rich, although I think the rich shouldn't have access to benefits or council houses. I think I'd like a complete overhaul. Raise the threshold at which someone starts to pay take, and then have a flat tax rate across the board - for everyone. Everyone pays the same - perhaps something like 15%. No WTC, CTC or anything, level playing field for everyone. No housing benefit either, just a higher threshold for tax. That way, the more you work, the more you earn. No big squeeze on the middle earners.

Not sure how to manage the out of work though. I think that JSA should be limited - people should be encouraged to make provisions for possible spells out of work.

Benefits for the disabled would be managed separately.

The whole system is just way too complicated, and there are undoubtedly rewards in the wrong place. It needs to be overhauled. I think the benefits system should be for emergencies only, and not as a long-term thing for anyone but the disabled.

I actually could have written that myself. How much better would that be, of course very simplistic but perhaps that's what is needed, people to realise that work is not an option, it's a need. It would make life much easier if personal allowance was much higher and if the tax system was the same for everyone, that way the higher earners still pay more but as its fairer people a less likely to try and find ways to avoid paying it.

Disability needs an overhaul because it seems like every other person can claim it for something but for those who need it then it should be left alone, or even increased.

The only thing I would add it subsidied child care for everyone who wants it. I don't just mean the lower incomes but everyone. Also minimum wage needs to be raised and set at the rate of inflation. So people can afford to live without benefits.

Then you can almost rid the whole benefits system. Except short term allowances.

 

[special_kala]

I can kind of agree with this under certain circumstances I doubt it could count for people with children and certainly not single mothers.

I see they are also thinking about cutting benefit to 3 kids and thats it which i completely agree with

 

[Sarahwoo]

It would be better if the whole system was simpler. I also think the whole house price situation needs to be addressed - even if it means house prices dropping further. It's crazy that a family with two working parents can't afford to rent in some areas without state help. I have no idea how but it would be better if house prices were lower. Obviously not for everyone, but your never going to please everyone.

 

[vaniilla]

I think it should be done in reverse, younger people have had less time to gain work experience, make their way in life etc etc but something does need to be as the way it is atm is just not sustainable.

 

[highhopes19]

If housing benefit gets dropped then people's wages should be increased! To cover it.... How do they expect people to live .

 

[RachA]

I don't support taxing the rich, although I think the rich shouldn't have access to benefits or council houses. I think I'd like a complete overhaul. Raise the threshold at which someone starts to pay take, and then have a flat tax rate across the board - for everyone. Everyone pays the same - perhaps something like 15%. No WTC, CTC or anything, level playing field for everyone. No housing benefit either, just a higher threshold for tax. That way, the more you work, the more you earn. No big squeeze on the middle earners.

Not sure how to manage the out of work though. I think that JSA should be limited - people should be encouraged to make provisions for possible spells out of work.

Benefits for the disabled would be managed separately.

The whole system is just way too complicated, and there are undoubtedly rewards in the wrong place. It needs to be overhauled. I think the benefits system should be for emergencies only, and not as a long-term thing for anyone but the disabled.

I actually could have written that myself. How much better would that be, of course very simplistic but perhaps that's what is needed, people to realise that work is not an option, it's a need. It would make life much easier if personal allowance was much higher and if the tax system was the same for everyone, that way the higher earners still pay more but as its fairer people a less likely to try and find ways to avoid paying it.

Disability needs an overhaul because it seems like every other person can claim it for something but for those who need it then it should be left alone, or even increased.

The only thing I would add it subsidied child care for everyone who wants it. I don't just mean the lower incomes but everyone. Also minimum wage needs to be raised and set at the rate of inflation. So people can afford to live without benefits.

Then you can almost rid the whole benefits system. Except short term allowances.

I agree with what you say here. I just wanted to point out that it's a fallacy that everyone gets disability - assuming you are talking about what used to be Incapacity Benefit. In order to get that you actually have to of worked for a minimum of 2 years - usually more because it's worked out on tax years. Therefore a student out of uni is unable to claim it if they have not worked and also people like myself who have not worked since having children are unable to claim it.