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Scrapping housing benefit for under 25s will only feed youth homelessness

The coalition’s policies aimed at cutting the social security bill have so far fallen disproportionately on the youth demographic (and disabled people), despite older people receiving 47 per cent of UK welfare spending through state pensions. 

Scrapping housing benefit for under-25s is one key policy announced at the Conservative party conference last year. The Conservatives seem determined to cut the benefits bill for the 1.1 million young people aged 16-24 who are out of work, despite the lack of jobs for them to go into. 

Housing benefit changes 'unworkable'

Two-thirds - 66% - of social sector tenants affected by benefit cuts for those with extra bedrooms were behind with rent after six months, a National Housing Federation survey suggests.

And it said 38% were in debt because of the "unfair, unworkable" policy change - dubbed the "bedroom tax" by critics. 

700 sign up to join city's credit union

Thousands of people are signing up to credit unions as an ethical and affordable alternative to high-interest money lenders.

In the last two months of 2013, Glasgow Credit Union dealt with more than 1600 inquiries and signed up 733 new members - a 260% increase on the previous year. The influx followed the Scottish Government's '12 Days of Debtmas' and 'A Helping Hand with Debt' campaigns. 

Benefit cuts leave 70,000 people in council tax arrears, says Labour

Around 70,000 people are being pursued by bailiffs for council tax arrears following benefit cuts, the Labour Party has claimed.

The party has, according to the Independent newspaper, issued requests under the Freedom of Information Act to all English councils and 143 responded with figures showing 30,761 have been issued with bailiff notices. If extrapolated across England, 70,000 could be affected. 

Universal credit “misunderstood”

Universal credit remains largely misunderstood, according to a study conducted by online letting agent Makeurmove.co.uk.

The research reveals that one in three landlords are unaware of universal credit while 40% of landlords have heard of the new government scheme, but are unclear about the details. Just 27% of landlords say they fully understand universal credit.