HOUSING BENEFIT CUTS

Housing Benefit: Will you be affected by the cuts?...

So - the housing benefit changes are now starting to affect even "new" claimants.

Obviously - I don't believe in people being paid huge amounts of rent (eg some of those London rent levels) and I believe its totally fair to cap rent at 4 bedroomed houses.

The thing that concerns me is if someone receives less money than they need for a perfectly "ordinary" rent level and/or is underpaid because they are under 35. I've been warning for some time that many under 35s will be forced out of one bedroom flats they ALREADY live in and made to go into bedsits or shared houses - should they have the misfortune to become unemployed. Guess thats one little side-effect of the retirement age being pushed up and up and up steadily - it makes it easier for the Government to claim that those in early middle age are still "young" (and we all know its okay - apparently - to expect young people to have to share accommodation, whether they want to or not).

Anyways....I give above a link to a good article on this for anyone in this position.