‘Debate still going on’ about HB for people aged under 25

Yesterday in parliament, in reply to a question about what his plans are for the future of housing benefit for people under 25 years old, Iain Duncan Smith said -

‘In June, the Prime Minister instigated a debate about the merits and risks of taxpayers continuing to meet the £2 billion bill that automatic entitlement to housing benefit for people aged under age 25 brings. More work is required, and that discussion and debate is still going on.

here’s a link to hansard -

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121210/debtext/121210-0001.htm#1212108000007

No he isnt trying it on. Its just the subtle use of language. Language designed to drip feed the public into hating benefit claimants.
Some idiot wrote in the guardian the other day that people on less than 20K salary receive Income Support. Where do i sign!
I also had a client in last week saying that in her opinion the welfare benefit bill needed sorting, while I was trying to arrange her claim for Pension Credit. She wasnt happy when i told her she was on benefits. “Thats different, Pension Credit isnt a benefit” was her reply.
Another day, another dollar.

This on 5/12/12

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/05/housing-benefit-inflation-autumn-statement

Does the Guardian know something we don’t?

Tony I agree with the so and so down the road thing. Its just another example of the media demonising benefit claimants to the point where they squabble among each other.

I was doing an ESA50 and the client commented that there was nowt wrong with so and so next door. I congratulated her on the fact she had obviously just received a medical degree, and asked when she was going back to work in her medical practice. Blank stares! A bit cheeky, but she started it.

I had to warn another client 3 years ago as DWP were messing him around. He informed me that the real reason for his woes was to do with “all the immigrants and Pakistanis over ‘ere”.
I informed him that i wasnt prepared to put up with that sort of rubbish (as an equal opportunities employer) and informed him that immigrant bashing was the flavour of the month and had nowt to do with anything, just scapegoating.
I told him that as a benefit claimant that he would be next on the list.
Turns out, I am sad to say, I was right.

Tony, not quite.  Read further down the article.

From the article

“It also emerged that the Liberal Democrats had successfully blocked Tory plans to end housing benefit for under-25s, which would have saved £2bn from the welfare budget – a move welcomed by homeless organisations such as Crisis”, etc, etc.

I guess the issue is: Lib Dems have allegedly kiboshed the ban on under 25s getting HB, but IDS says in parliament that it’s still “under discussion”?

Somewhat related from the Hansard link:

Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Con): Does my right hon. Friend share my concern that less than 16% of the 204,300 young people under 25 with children who claimed housing benefit are in a couple?

Mr Duncan Smith: That is obviously a matter for concern, but also for wider change. We want to ensure that couples stay together, and our plans and changes with universal credit will help with that enormously. ...

So, what is the “enormous” benefit derived from reducing the couple rate for under 25s, as compared to the current system where all over-18 couples get the same amount? The applicable amount for joint claimants both aged under 25 in UC will be £387.42pcm  (=£89.40/week), which is less than double the amount for a single under-25 claimant. How can that possibly incentivise under 25s staying in a couple?

Tony

What I was getting at was that The Guardian suggested that plans to scrap HB for the under 25’s had been shelved whereas IDS in Parliament on Monday suggested that discussions were still ongoing.  Hence the question, does The Guardian know something we don’t. You had me doubting my own sanity for a while.