Under-25s blast 'stupid' benefits cuts proposal
THE Government's latest idea to crack down on the country's spiralling benefits bill has been met with undisguised hostility.
In a major policy speech the Prime Minister has suggested stripping housing benefit from the under-25s and forcing them to live with their parents.
David Cameron also wants to slash benefits for feckless families.
The ideas could be part of a Conservative Party manifesto for the next General Election, in 2015.
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But the idea, which Mr Cameron stressed was not a firm policy, was slammed by Plymothians.
Dan Long, aged 17, from Plympton, a trainee teaching assistant, said: "It's a stupid idea. Whatever David Cameron does is stupid. It's fair to say you should work before you get benefits, but there are not the jobs anywhere. I have tried looking for work and they don't even take your CV."
Jess Wafer, 18, from Efford, a trainee teaching assistant, said: "I don't listen to anything Cameron says any more.
"It's a pathetic idea that you have to live with your parents. We should be allowed to have freedom and independence.
"I live at home but I'm keen to move out."
Rhys French, aged 18, from Mannamead, said that not everyone had the choice to live with their parents.
Rhys, a level three engineering student at City College Plymouth, said he knew several young people who lived by themselves and got housing benefit.
"Some of them moved out because they did not get on with their parents.
"One person's parents died and the rest of his family lives abroad. He doesn't have a choice – it's either that or live on the street."
"There are people in college who live by themselves and get housing benefit. They are looking for jobs. If you are looking for work you should get benefits."
Lauren Newsom, aged 18, from Mannamead and studying art and design at Plymouth College of Art, said: "If you live with your parents you don't get the experience.
"This won't encourage me to vote for David Cameron."
Luke McCarthy , aged 16, from Ford, has just finished GCSEs and is about the start a construction course.
"If someone is struggling for money and can't get a job, it would be bad to have to live with your parents because you couldn't have your friends or a girlfriend round to visit," he said.
Mr Cameron also said he wanted to adjust the benefits system so it does not encourage people to have large numbers of children.
He said: "If you are a single parent living outside London, if you have four children and you're renting a house on housing benefit, then you can claim almost £25,000 a year.
"That is more than the average take-home pay of a farm worker and nursery nurse put together."
Downing Street also confirmed proposals are being considered to regionalise social security payouts and bring them into line with local wage rates.
The Government is already looking at whether public sector workers such as teachers and nurses should be paid different amounts depending on where they live.
But this idea, which is set to see payments reduced, received a cool reception from one of Mr Cameron's own MPs.
Tory MP for South West Devon Gary Streeter said: "I certainly favour a radical overhaul of our benefits system but looking at regional benefits and pay is not my favourite part of the plans, but we are at such a stage of welfare dependence that we have got to explore everything."
Conservative MP for Plymouth Sutton Oliver Colvile welcomed the Prime Minister's ideas, but Alison Seabeck, Labour MP for Plymouth Moor View, said: "What [Mr Cameron] needs to be doing is focusing on getting people, particularly young people, into work."
The latest statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions show that spending on benefits, not including pensions, totalled nearly £355 million in Plymouth alone last year, which is up from £342 million in 2009/10.
Comment – Page 11
Comments
by JMonners
Thursday, June 28 2012, 5:04PM
“My daughter is 24 and has 2 children and claims housing benefit on her council flat.
She is NOT moving in with me”
by moyztedbear
Thursday, June 28 2012, 4:53PM
“i agree with 147 ref look after our country stop sending millions overseas charity begins at home no matter how much aid we send they keep asking for more and why is that because they still keep breeding like rabbits if cameron wants to send money he should use his own millions”
by nicekebablove
Thursday, June 28 2012, 3:11AM
“There will never be enough jobs for everyone ! I am 19 & have a baby but i probably look after her better than some adults with kids. You can't judge people get to no them . Every body is entiltled to there opinion yeh but some things are better not said because it hurts peoples feelings . There is never a right time to have kids really !! I don't work but I am at home with my daughter when she is old enough I will go to work . Think about all the drugies and alcoholics they get anything and everything and will carry on forever .”
by Workitout
Wednesday, June 27 2012, 9:46PM
“WHY should we pay for teenage IDIOTS having kids and
expecting everything for nothing.
Let the Parents look after them...but maybe they are the same..
Wasters..
Sick Animals get PUT DOWN.”
by 147ref
Wednesday, June 27 2012, 9:39PM
“government lost the plot i reckon, stop give millions away in foreign aid and the eu, stop paying out mega wages to quangos, kick out the illegal immigrates,and start looking after us, after all its our money your throwing away, which could be used to help the under 25”
by hongkongfue
Wednesday, June 27 2012, 9:26PM
“why is showing as a 'crime ' story' ?”
by atwa32
Wednesday, June 27 2012, 2:00PM
“I'm a full time mum of 3, my husband works full time and my oldest son is 20 and almost qualified in hairdressing and very good at what he does, he lives in a decaying house with only one room that's his own, we would have nothing except a sofa to offer him if he werw forced to move back as as we dont have the room and this would be no good for his well being while he holds down 2 jobs,he works over 40 hours for only £95 a week and has a second job to help support himself, he pays a chunk of his own rent and housing benefit cover the rest, if mr Cameron were to implement this law then my son would lose his home and his jobs as he struggles to manage now in this god awful economic climate, he could be a druggie or benefits scrounger and sit on his butt all day but is working hard and making something of his
Life, these laws need to be thought through better and a way found to target the genuine scroungers who end up getting these laws created thus leaving the genuine needy without the help they do deserve.”
by Timbo77
Wednesday, June 27 2012, 12:38PM
“David Cameron makes sense. Benefits should be for emergencies, not some kind of lifestyle choice (and as an aside, when paid, they should be just enough to keep you alive). Giving houses to spoilt 20 something's because they 'don't get on' with their parents/didn't work at school/can't get a job/insert appropriate excuse here, should not happen. I really would like to know where this feeling of entitlement comes from in this country. If it's not the permanently unemployed, it's middle class workers bleating about not enough benefits, or public servants moaning about pensions. I work on the basis of being entitled to nothing and having to earn it, and I'm not just talking about money/possessions. I think the country would be a much better place if everyone else did the same.”
by peoplewakeup
Wednesday, June 27 2012, 10:58AM
“To the people that are bleating about there taxes being paid to these "lazy layabouts" will you please do some research and come up with an original thought, just copying the national rhetoric is getting boring.
Almost all the tax that you pay goes to repay the interest on the debt that the UK has with private banks-( ask yourself why does the bank of England print money out of thin air, then loan it to the government at interest ) do the research, it's out there!
The money we spend on illegal wars/defence far outways the money we spend on health or helping the poor of this country, but you people won't be up in arms about this. Instead you complain that some person is living the high life on their 60 odd quid a week.
Where is your humanity?”
by dauber
Wednesday, June 27 2012, 2:24AM
“Service provision goes down while the tax bill goes up. On and on it goes. Where does it stop? No-one knows. Britain shrugged.
As wages spiral downwards and the corporate margin grows wider, more people will move into demographic brackets they previously considered the realm of inferior humans.
How many bailouts is it now? Tax break Dave might know.”