The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Clegg backs plans to limit housing benefit for under-25s

Deputy PM contradicts Simon Hughes and says "savings" can be made.

By George Eaton Published 12 October 2012 13:21

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. Photograph: Getty Images.

Nick Clegg said "savings" could be made by restricting housing benefit for the under-25s. Photograph: Getty Images.

On last night's edition of Question Time, Simon Hughes declared that the Lib Dems were opposed to plans to abolish housing benefit for most under-25s. The party's deputy leader said: "Nick agrees with me on this. We have not signed up to cutting housing benefit for the under-25s and I don't imagine for a moment we will."

But after listening to Clegg's Q&A on Radio 5 Live, it's clear that Nick doesn't agree with him. While the Lib Dem leader said he was opposed to a "complete blanket ban" on under-25s claiming housing benefit, he added that "savings" could be made. In other words, he supports a partial ban, with exceptions made for those leaving care and for "people who've suffered abuse" (in Clegg's words). In his speech on welfare in June, Cameron indicated that there would be exemptions.

Again, I want to stress that a lot of these young people will genuinely need a roof over their head.

Like those leaving foster care, or those with a terrible, destructive home life and we must always be there for them.

Clegg, therefore, is happy with the policy as it stands.

Hughes rightly argued against the proposal on the grounds that it would penalise the 17% of HB claimants who are in employment (indeed, 93% of new claims in 2010-11 were made by in-work households) and the seven per cent who are sick or disabled, but it seems Clegg would have no objection to these groups losing the benefit.

Elsewhere, the Deputy PM repeated his demand that further cuts to welfare (he refused to endorse the figure of £10bn) be balanced by tax increases on the wealthy. "You ask people at the top and then work down, you don’t ask people at the bottom and then work up," he said.

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Tags: Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg Welfare Spending Cuts

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21 comments

Sun, 2012-10-14 22:34 — redmary2 (not verified)

Roll on 2015, When we can kick both the Tories and Lib-Dem's out

Fri, 2012-11-02 11:17 — bell (not verified)

This just getting ridiculous now they are thinking about students, or people who suffer.. they are just thinking about their self "FACT how on earth do expect us not live in over crowding house. FACT it is against the law for us to live in a other crowed house what the government need to concentrate is getting young children to stay in school. Because teens these day live with nothing why no help or support or get pregnant at a young age...

WE ARE NOT IN RECESSION IF WE COME OUT EU IF THINK I WILL BE MORE BETTER FOR US .

I THINK THE GOV SHOULD LISTEN TO THERE PUBLIC VIEW IN WHAT THEY IN STEAD OF BEING ALL FOR THE SELF.

YOUR NOT MAKING LIFE ANY BETTER FOR OUR SELF'S YOUR SUPPOSE TO BE HELPING US

WHATS GOING ON
DAVID "MR DON'T THINK ABOUT US OR NOR CARES"

Sun, 2012-10-14 22:31 — redmary2 (not verified)

Roll on 2015, When we can kick both the Tories & Lib-Dem's out

Sun, 2012-10-14 20:22 — Mrs.Josephine Hyde-Hartley (not verified)

So politics- even the politics of a hung Parliament - is about inventing new classes and categories from which new issues inevitably gush forth to refloat our sinking economy as if it's in some public's interest. Whose public is it anyway? Only those over 25? Only those who are in employment, education or training?

Obviously the answer is to just slash housing benefit to the same amount across the nation.. and more in places like London where the rents are too damn high.

Sun, 2012-10-14 15:12 — Jimminy-Wicket

Another nail in Nick Clegg's coffin. When is he and Cameron going to realise that there are a lot of "working poor" claiming these benefits. Some of these people have come to the stage that they depend on food banks and the situation for the working poor is set to worsen due to the latest fuel price hike which are way above the rate of inflation.

People who claim these benefits are not always scroungers and malingerers as Conservatives would have us believe!

Sun, 2012-10-14 15:02 — Des Demona (not verified)

Disgusting, but what's new from this bunch of shysters. So someone leaves Uni at 22 or 23 gets an entry level job in a place other than which their parents live but can't afford the housing. I've seen rooms in London advertised at £1,300 a month. For a room!!

I thought the last Tory spell in office was bad with Tebbit telling people to get on their bike. Now it's get on your bike and sleep on the pavement.

Sun, 2012-10-14 15:51 — willoyen

'and sleep on the pavement'
no. You stay on your bike. It's got a seat hasn't it?

Sat, 2012-10-13 12:03 — Hugh C Markey (not verified)

Since Mrs Thatcher and her Confederate outriders were in the saddle home living space has reduced to dimensions lower than that to which US trailer trash( poor people ) have become acclimatised.
More like cell blocks in a penitentiary. What was that folk song - in sixties/seventies - 'Little Boxes'. Living coffins, more like.
Some politician on television even warned the building industry against putting up blocks of flats./apartments/rooms in the back gardens of neighbourhoods boasting desirable postal codes. Never! The sheer cheek of him.
The Big Society is indeed getting smaller. If Nick's Mum is still eligible to vote is she ready to take back her loving son, wife and family? Two women in the same kitchen. Awesome!
The UK is getting oh so crowded. Young friends will no longer have a sofa to sleep on.
And the landlords can't help - although they'd like to. Beside Rigsby they're a money-grubbing lot. Miss Jones would be appalled.
Rents in London and all the major cities are rising at hypersonic speeds. Grant Chaps alias Mike Green must be thinking how can I write a blockbuster on 'How to Reduce Your Rent!' Millions of tenants - few thousand landlords and some 'buy-to-rent' aspiring types. You don't have to do the math.
And 50% of all £1 mil plus accommodation selling in London is going to non-Brits, or
ex-Pats from abroad.
These rich immigrants, yes, rich, are just poring into the crowded UK and solving their own housing problems whilst the native population huddle up and make the best of it.
Almost forgot. The British Defence Forces are keeping the UK safe for all the population, however new.

HM Squaddies

Sun, 2012-10-14 15:47 — willoyen

'The British Defence Forces are keeping the UK safe for all the population'
really? is that what they're doing? how amusing. They were incompetent in iraq, (see Emma Sky), and are despised as fighters by the Taliban who recognize only the Americans and Northern Alliance warlords. Yet they keep the UK safe!? or by 'the british defence forces' you mean something else. The civil defence perhaps? Dad's army?

Sat, 2012-10-13 00:29 — From 'I agree with Nick' (not verified)

To 'I agree with Dave'. From 'I agree with Nick' To 'I agree with Dave'. From 'I agree with Nick' To 'I agree with Dave'. From 'I agree with Nick' To 'I agree with Dave'. From 'I agree with Nick' To 'I agree with Dave'. From 'I agree with Nick' To 'I agree with Dave'. From 'I agree with Nick' To 'I agree with Dave'. From 'I agree with Nick' To 'I agree with Dave'. From 'I agree with Nick' To 'I agree with Dave'. From 'I agree with Nick' To 'I agree with Dave'. From 'I agree with Nick'

Sat, 2012-10-13 00:37 — From 'I agree with Nick' (not verified)

Next time you are on the train and hear the gaps in the track repeat this ostinata...

Fri, 2012-10-12 16:37 — JustVisiting (not verified)

Presumably the under 25s will get a reduction in the taxes they have to pay.

Fri, 2012-10-12 15:43 — EdW (not verified)

Clegg is a tory

Fri, 2012-10-12 15:30 — mike cobley (not verified)

"...in order to reduce dependency on the state."

Yeah, because that's so evil and demeaning, isnt it? Far better that state benefits be cut off completely so that people are incentivised and willing to work HARD for any big corporation that comes along, and willing to do anything. Oh, and work HARD preferably for wages determined by the labour market as well. Wow, you could go on and on with this way of thinking....if you were a sociopath.

Fri, 2012-10-12 15:25 — hjghjkllm

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Fri, 2012-10-12 14:44 — Eddy S (not verified)

personally i'm in favour of some restriction in this area. i think the system needs to provide the right incentives and at the right level in order to reduce dependency on the state.

Sat, 2012-10-13 10:36 — Herbert (not verified)

What a meaningless statement. 'I think the system needs to provide the right incentives and at the right level in order to reduce dependency on the state.' I imagine you're about 14 years old.

Fri, 2012-10-12 14:32 — Red Shift

One can marry at sixteen, unless one is gay, one can vote at 18.

We need a common age of majority which establishes when adulthood with all of its responsibilities: paying taxes, driving, sex, voting, marriage, etc, begins.

Are working parents aged 18 say, with two children going to be refused HB? For 7 years?