TORY toff David Cameron yesterday unveiled a new assault on people on benefits.
Amid a recession and soaring youth unemployment, he proposed stopping housing benefit for under-25s who are on low pay or claim the dole.
The link between welfare increases and inflation could be axed as he tries to slash the £84billion a year paid out to working-age claimants.
The right for high-earners to keep their council homes would go – and there would be limits on benefits for families with three or more children.
He’d also force claimants to learn to read and write, to draw up a CV and to improve their health or face losing payouts.
And he spoke of a time limit on benefits – with payouts dropping as the years go by.
The sleekit ex-public schoolboy insisted he wasn’t setting out policy plans – just trying to start a debate on the future of welfare.
But he said he would talk the ideas over with his Lib Dem buddies and some could make it into the Tories’ 2015 manifesto. Cameron said that the system for working-age benefits inherited by the
Coalition had gone “truly awry” and created “a mess of perverse incentives, mind-numbing complexity and real unfairness”.
He said: “We have in some ways created a welfare gap in this country between those living long-term in the welfare system and those outside it.
“Those within it grow up with expectations – you can have a home of your own, the state will support you whatever decisions you make, you will always be able to take out no matter what you put in.
“It gave us millions of working-age people sitting at home on benefits even before the recession hit.
“It created a culture of entitlement.
“And it has led to huge resentment amongst those who pay into the system because they feel that what they’re having to work hard for, others are getting without having to put in the effort.”
Cameron said the state spends £2billion a year on housing benefit for under-25s and there are 210,000 people aged 16-24 in social housing.
But at the same time, there are three million 20 to 34-year-olds who are living with their parents while they save up to afford a place of their own.
While stressing that there should continue to be support for those who are “genuinely in need of help”, such as those leaving foster care or fleeing abusive homes, Cameron said: “There are many who will have a parental home and somewhere to stay.
“We have to ask – up to what age should we expect people to be living at home?”
Cameron’s schemes were slammed by experts.
Citizens Advice Scotland head of policy Susan McPhee said: “Scottish CABs are in the front line of helping those who are being hit by the welfare reforms.
“The evidence we see is of thousands of the most vulnerable people losing out – including sick and disabled people, pensioners and families on low incomes.
“Before he starts rolling out even more drastic reforms, he needs to address the flaws in the system which are causing misery and poverty to many vulnerable people.”
Shelter Scotland director Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said “It’s outrageous that they are considering undermining the housing safety net yet again.
“Sadly, it seems inevitable that we’ll see an increase in homelessness as a result if this policy is ever implemented.”
Scottish Youth Parliament chairman Grant Costello said: “David Cameron’s proposals to reduce housing benefit for under-25s and to cut benefit for under 21s will make life even harder for Scotland’s young people.
“Facing record levels of youth unemployment, the Scottish Youth Parliament would rather the focus was on creating more job opportunities for young people, rather than removing benefits which allow young people to live independent lives.”
source - dailyrecord.co.uk - Get 2 Know
