Conservatives discuss whether to remove housing benefit from under 25s

[MrSmith]

Personally I think it's a terrible idea to get rid of housing benefit for under 25s, for all the reasons about vulnerable people being made homeless etc. But even if you don't care about 18-25 year olds being made homeless, two points;

 

a) Because if you only get it when you're under 25 if you have kids more people are going to have kids for benefits.

b) Is it really going to be pleasant in our towns and cities if we have a massive upturn in 18-25 year olds sleeping rough in them, which there will be.

 

Personally I was proud to live in a country where nobody would be left on the streets destitute and thought it was part of what made us civilised.

 

The problem now is that the only under 25’s that get it are the unemployed or have a child, so it encourages the under 25’s to be unemployed or have a child, workers under 25 can't get it.

[Badlittlepup]

The problem now is that the only under 25’s that get it are the unemployed or have a child, so it encourages the under 25’s to be unemployed or have a child, workers under 25 can't get it.

 

That applies to the over 25s too. Because there is an assumption that they don't need it because they are earning money to pay for housing themselves. Unless you are saying that their earnings are too low and they can't afford decent housing. But I've been under the impression you were in favour of low wages....

[MrSmith]

That applies to the over 25s too. Because there is an assumption that they don't need it because they are earning money to pay for housing themselves. Unless you are saying that their earnings are too low and they can't afford decent housing. But I've been under the impression you were in favour of low wages....

 

Yes I agree it also applies to the over 25's which is why in an earlier post I said it should apply to everyone or no one. It shouldn’t discriminate based on age.

 

I don’t favour low wages but I accept that low wages are an inevitable consequence of globalization and unemployment, and one persons wage is always going to appear low against someone on a much larger wage.

[Mister M]

That applies to the over 25s too. Because there is an assumption that they don't need it because they are earning money to pay for housing themselves. Unless you are saying that their earnings are too low and they can't afford decent housing. But I've been under the impression you were in favour of low wages....

 

Yes quite the majority of housing benefit is claimed by those who are already in in work. Not that call me Dave could give a stuff about that, his parents bought him a property for his 18th birthday (perhaps they were trying to tell him something).

Perhaps he thinks housing benefit claimants don't work, or that all our youngsters come from nice homes with understanding parents that don't abuse their children. But I suspect he does know the problems faced by some young people, but he'd rather pander to prejudice of his supporters.

This is awful in the week when he's backtracked on him and his millionaire chums in the cabinet publishing their tax returns.

[Susil]

[snip]after that it would be a bed and food in return for work.

 

What work? What would you have people doing in return for the food and shelter?

 

Surely whatever you got them doing, they would be doing it cheaper than than a 'proper' employee, which would actually take jobs away from those who are looking for work.

[MrSmith]

What work? What would you have people doing in return for the food and shelter?

 

Surely whatever you got them doing, they would be doing it cheaper than than a 'proper' employee, which would actually take jobs away from those who are looking for work.

 

 

If you take the time to look around whilst out walking you will notice the country is a craphole, and councils can’t afford to keep it tidy.

[sci fi]

If this happens we will see crime rates shoot up, committed by people with no money and with no one to rely on for help. You can't expect people to pull jobs from thin air. Many people on benefits are in that very situation because there simply are not jobs available for them to fill.

[MrSmith]

If this happens we will see crime rates shoot up, committed by people with no money and with no one to rely on for help. You can't expect people to pull jobs from thin air. Many people on benefits are in that very situation because there simply are not jobs available for them to fill.

 

And despite that, immigrates continue to arrive in the UK and find work, it’s very puzzling.

 

Net migration to UK remains at more than 250,000 a year

 

It makes you wonder what they all do when they get here.

[I1L2T3]

And on top of that,all student accommodation should pay council tax like the rest of us. Can someone give a real reason why student accommodation escapes council tax in this day and age?

 

Give 'em a break. They're already staring down the barrel of £40k in debts.

 

I take it your owns kids didn't make it to uni then?

[I1L2T3]

Utopia wouldn’t have a need for prisons, there wouldn’t be rich and poor, everyone would live in harmony with nature, so what I’m suggesting falls along way short of utopia.

 

If you read Utopia (it's a book) they used gold for prisoners' chains.