PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Housing Benefit: Young People (21 July 2015)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed changes to housing benefit entitlement for people aged 18 to 21 announced in the Summer Budget 2015 on levels of homelessness.

Asked by:
Imran Hussain (Labour)

To prevent young people slipping straight into a life on benefits, from April 2017 the Government will remove the automatic entitlement to housing support for new claims in Universal Credit from 18-21 year olds who are out of work. This will ensure young people in the benefits system face the same choices as young people who work and who may not be able to afford to leave home.

We will ensure that vulnerable young people who are in need of support for their housing needs continue to receive it. Government will consider the impact in line with our legal obligations as part of that process.

Answered by:
Justin Tomlinson (Conservative)
7 September 2015