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Politics

Cameron wants to remove housing benefit from the under 25s

78 replies

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 24/06/2012 07:23

m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18567855

Summary: would cut welfare bill by 2bn. Would remove some resentment towards those on benefits.

People should live with parents, get job and save up for house/marriage/children rather than having child, getting free house and being stuck in benefits trap.

OP posts:
headfairy · 25/06/2012 19:10

alemci did I swear? Sorry about that... didn't think I had. I'm a real old hippy in life and don't believe in upsetting people just because we have different opinions.

As for hostels, I think this government has shown time and time again it doesn't have any money to spend on people who can't help themselves or haven't inherited millions from their parents so I can't see them rushing out to create warm, safe, comfortable hostels for employed young people just yet.

alemci · 25/06/2012 20:20

no you didn't head. it was someone else earlier. sorry if you thought i meant you :)

headfairy · 25/06/2012 20:50

Phew, thought I'd dream cursed wouldn't be the first time :o

WorldOfMeh · 25/06/2012 22:27

Eh? I can't see any swearing (or even disrespect) in headfairy's post either. Confused

WorldOfMeh · 25/06/2012 22:27

Oops. That's learn me to leave pages open for ages before reading them. Soz...

WorldOfMeh · 25/06/2012 22:28

That'll. FFS. Time to go to bed!

merrymouse · 26/06/2012 10:43

Serusly, nobody needs to settle down proply till ther at least 30.

Some people go of the rails a bit at uni, go a bit druggy, maybe live in a squat, but relly, couldn't their parents put them up in the London flat?

It's just selfishness relly.

CouthyMow · 26/06/2012 11:51

Sorry, that was me getting sweary. Blush

I apologise. But it is frustrating me. Say my DD moves out at 19yo, is working and living in a room in a house share. Her wages will not cover her rent, food, travel to work and bills. And if she does move out, I will be made to down size to a smaller property as I am in Social Housing under the 'new' tenancies. So there will be NOWHERE for her to move back to if she lost her job...

If she stays at home till 25, I will have problems. She won't be able to save anything on a crap income, and I will get part of MY HB deducted for having an adult in the house. So she will have to cover from her wages whatever the shortfall is. As I won't get any TC's etc for her, she will also have to cover a 1/5 share of the bills, and 1/5 of the food bill, as I will be living hand to mouth anyway, as I can only earn NMW and will be unable to work more than 24 hrs a week due to health reasons (all my consultants will sign me fit for is 16 hrs, but under UC that won't qualify me for the Childcare money, so I will have to work 24 even though it will be detrimental to my health.)

I won't HAVE the money to support her, and she will be in a NMW job, for a teenager's amount of NMW, which may not even cover the shortfall in HB, her food, her portion of the bills and her travel to work.

How the Hell am I meant to support her if I have younger DC to feed out of a NMW job? She will be an ADULT, not a child.

CouthyMow · 26/06/2012 11:56

And if they take the housing costs help away for older claimants after 2 years, where does that leave a Lone Parent in a NMW job, even a FT one, who only earns £11,650 before tax?

In the SE you couldn't rent a shoebox without help from HB if you are on NMW, especially if you have to pay for Childcare.

When they have forced everyone earning less than £26k pa out of the SE, who is going to collect the bins, or cook your food when you are in hospital, or care for your elderly relatives, or push your hospital bed to the operating theatre, or serve you your shopping, or cut your hair, or serve the food in your local restaurants?

Be careful what you wish for...

merrymouse · 26/06/2012 12:02

I can only assume that Cameron is going to ensure that a day's work in any job will be enough to cover food,wages etc. without benefits, and that he will provide grants for/ban unpaid work experience.

Oh no! I'm being splatted by flying pig droppings!

merrymouse · 26/06/2012 12:03

Sorry, a day's wages in any job enough to cover food, housing etc...

CouthyMow · 26/06/2012 12:05

Yes, I seem to be watching pigs flying over a blue moon on a day Hell has frozen over too...

CogitoErgoSometimes · 26/06/2012 12:18

@CouthyMow... why do you assume your DD would be in a NMW job?

radio4anyquestionsasker · 29/06/2012 22:01

I thought of you all when I asked a related question this evening on Radio 4's Any questions!

edam · 29/06/2012 22:18

what did you ask? And were any of the responses worth listening to?

I think it's shocking that the government is lashing out at skint young people when we have the financial services industry yet AGAIN caught out cheating, lying, stealing and exploiting people. All of 'em mis-selling products to small businesses that have sent said businesses to the wall, Barclays fixing the Libor rate hence fecking about with all our savings and mortgages, PPI, pensions, endowments, oh, and that small business of causing the collapse of the world economy...

CouthyMow · 01/07/2012 11:26

Cogito - because she has SN's, is a guinea pug for the new linear GCSE's that will see her leave with a raft of 'U's instead of the 'C/D' grades she could have achieved under the modular system, tbh she will be lucky to ever be employed at ALL with her disabilities that the DWP claim aren't severe enough to get financial help with, I have been working towards her eventually being financially independent, but it seems like this Government are screwing her over at every turn.

If YOU were a boss, would YOU employ someone who has Autism, and has regular violent meltdowns, also has heart problems, mild epilepsy, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and a muscle problem?!

Yet she qualifies for NO additional financial help, and even if she was to go into supported accommodation, who is going to cover the hideously expensive, £800 a week cost if Housing benefit will not cover rent for the under 25's?

I had been arranging a vocational college course (Catering), since she was 12yo I have been in contact with the College involved. Had she been on the Modular GCSE's, she would have got enough 'C' grades through coursework to get onto the Catering course. With a raft of 'U's, she won't.

And what makes it worse is that I have a recognised disability myself, that used to qualify for top rate incapacity benefit when I was unemployed, yet now I don't even qualify for the 'WRAG' group of ESA. And because I no longer get that, my DLA has stopped too. Yet my disability (epilepsy that is nowhere near fully controlled even with huge doses of anti-seizure meds), hasn't vanished or even improved. If anything, it has got WORSE rather than better, yet I no longer get any financial assistance to help me.

I am in the unenviable position of being classed as 'too able' for disability benefits, yet 'too disabled' for unemployment benefit. Therefore, given the new rules, I will have to go back to work, for at least 24 hrs a week, before my DS3 is 5yo, or face having NO income at ALL to support my DC's. Which will now include my DD at LEAST until she is 25. With HB deducted for having a non-dependant living at home. A non-Dep who can't support themselves. And I can't support them either. Hmm

And I'm FAR from alone in this situation. I know FAR too many people who will end up defaulting on their rents because they are trying to feed a non-dependant DC that cannot find work, that they get no Child Benefit for as they are unable to access College courses due to 'U' grades at GCSE, that they don't get TC's for, they are struggling themselves working FT in a job that can't POSSIBLY support a family, they get deductions from their HB, they will be taking from their younger DC to support their older DC, they can't put their DC's into Hostels (who will pay their rent? HB won't help...), and they are petrified already when their DC's are only 14yo.

It's yet another perfect shit-storm this Government are creating, without looking at the root causes of Poverty.

Maybe tackling the education system, and ensuring that all children get an Outstanding education, which includes putting LOTS more funding in for remedial work, and doing it in KS1, and KS2, catching those that struggle with literacy/numeracy early when problems can be rectified quickly without parents having to know that they have to fight for every second of help from the LEA and NHS, and helping those whose parents DON'T know that regardless, would be a good start. If all DC left KS1 with basic literacy and numeracy skills, that were built on through KS2, then maybe things could be fixed.

But no-one rich, who sends their DC's to Private Schools, is going to want to pay MORE taxes to ensure that other people's DC's can have an education that ENSURES that they are employable, are they?

And employers may all pay lip service to the DDA and the Equality Act, but in reality, as a boss, if you are hiring for an entry level job, and you get two applicants for an unskilled job, who both got 'U's at GCSE, and one has multiple health issues and also has Autism, and the other applicant is fit and healthy, just happened to get 'U's at GCSE, WHO WOULD YOU EMPLOY?

It wouldn't be sound business sense to employ the person with disabilities OVER the healthy applicant, would it? Still leaves a YP that us unable to support themselves, who is also unsupported by the Government. And not all of their parents can bear those costs...

Fourthdimensionallizard · 01/07/2012 15:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

YoYoYoItsTillyMinto · 01/07/2012 16:19

And employers may all pay lip service to the DDA and the Equality Act, but in reality, as a boss, if you are hiring for an entry level job, and you get two applicants for an unskilled job, who both got 'U's at GCSE, and one has multiple health issues and also has Autism, and the other applicant is fit and healthy, just happened to get 'U's at GCSE, WHO WOULD YOU EMPLOY?

the first one - i would rather give someone as chance who has a reason may be why they got a U than someone who just got a U. i would assume the second one was lazy.

edam · 01/07/2012 17:20

yeah, but sadly most people would not, yoyo.

YoYoYoItsTillyMinto · 01/07/2012 18:17

edam - with small businesses there is more balance between employer & emplyee & if you are in a competitive market, like me, you have to think creatively to get the best staff. it forces you to open your eyes & realise what looks good/bad on paper isnt as always what it first seems.

edam · 01/07/2012 18:51

Yes, I'm sure, and I'm open-minded when recruiting BUT suspect most people are not.

Fourthdimensionallizard · 01/07/2012 19:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

YoYoYoItsTillyMinto · 01/07/2012 21:56

fourth - we are a business but in my market there is strong competition for quality staff - so i have employed someone who has been unemployed for 6 months, another who had a career gap which was unexplained, another who has a mild disability (well he failed the second interview by being offhand but it was his personalty not his disabilty that lead to him not being selected).

I prioritise the quality of the person above things which need not affect their work. its about seeing an opportunity.

i do know someone in my industry who uses a motorised wheelchair (partial use of one hand) & has a carer (at least morning & evening). he is v successful & works for a global company. one of my clients employs someone with a severely disabling condition.

if you have a first from oxford, an employer is much more likely to write off costs of any adjustments. i am a small business owner, but i would spent £10k for office modifications for a top quality person with the right personality & skills.

i am not saying its all ok because it obviously isnt but just that not everyone is narrow minded.

CouthyMow · 01/07/2012 22:20

Yes, in my previous job I was lucky, I got an assistant manager's job despite a 2 year break in my CV where I had been unable to find an employer willing to accept my epilepsy. I was lucky because it was a small business, AND the Boss already had insurance that covered people with epilepsy, as HE had epilepsy himself.

However, since that shop shut down, I have been out of work for over 4 years now, have applied for over 100 jobs, and haven't got ONE offer.

There are VERY few employers out there like you, Tilly.

CouthyMow · 01/07/2012 22:22

And it still begs the question of who is going to make those adjustments for an unskilled worker, when there are plenty of unskilled workers that DON'T need adjustments made for them.

Not everyone with disabilities can get a First from Oxford.