Under-25s benefit cut still on agenda
Monday 10 December 2012
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EmailA vicious cut in housing benefit for the under-25s is still looming, Labour MPs discovered in the Commons today.
Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith admitted that discussions were still underway on the "risks to the taxpayer" of continuing "automatic entitlement" of under-25s to housing benefit.
"More work is required still on this, and that discussion and debate is still continuing," the minister told anxious MPs.
Media reports had suggested that this attack on the under-25s had been shelved following Lib Dem pressure.
Tyneside Labour MP Mary Glindon reminded Mr Duncan Smith that 10,000 young people became homeless last year through no fault of their own.
Hackney Labour MP Meg Hillier said that around 400,000 households claiming housing benefit were headed by someone aged under 25 and half had dependant children.
The minister replied: "If we were ever to implement a policy like this, we would have to take into consideration those categories that may find it incredibly difficult."
The policy would "not necessarily be carte blanche."
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