No Going Home

Protect housing benefit for under 25s

CAMPAIGN SUCCESS: There was no mention in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement of the plan to stop people aged under 25 from claiming housing benefit.

However, this potentially disastrous plan is still "under discussion" within Government. We will keep campaigning against it – please add your voice to the campaign below.

Our Campaign

Ministers want to stop people under 25 from claiming housing benefit. If they do it will be a disaster—help us campaign against the plan.

Anyone can take action by writing to their MP but you'll be directed to a more personalised letter if you have experience of the issue:

Did not claim housing benefit when aged under 25? Take action now
Claimed or are claiming housing benefit when under 25? Take action now

Why housing benefit is so important for young people

Most young adults can afford their own accommodation or live with their parents. But, for thousands, housing benefit is their last option – without it they would be homeless.

Already one in three people accepted as homeless is aged 16-24 and last year 10,000 people were accepted as homeless because their parents wouldn't or couldn't house them. Many thousands more will be made homeless if this proposal is made law.

Jade's story

Jade, 21, was sexually abused by her father from the age of 11. Confused and afraid, she did not tell a single soul. Because she had nowhere else to go, Jade remained in her family home until she was 19, when she could bear it no longer. Jade now relies on housing benefit, living with her parents is simply not an option.

Find out more about Jade's story
Listen to Jade being interviewed on Radio 1's Newsbeat (skip to 7 mins 43)

Paul's story

Paul, 20, had always had a difficult relationship with his father, which involved arguments and threats of violence. Then, in May this year, Paul's mum called to warn him it was no longer safe for him to come home. His father was drunk and on drugs, and she believed he would be very violent. Paul can't go home, without housing benefit he'd be stuck.

Find out more about Paul's story

Young people claim housing benefit because they need to.

This plan would make it impossible to protect those fleeing abuse or whose parents simply have no space for them, as exemptions for these and other groups would be totally unworkable.

Of 18-24 year olds who claim housing benefit:

66,000 are working
Most (204,000 households) have dependant children
And 28,000 are sick or disabled

Find out more

Download our campaign briefing
Find out what was said when restricting housing benefit for under 25 year olds was debated in Parliament
Read our No Going Home press release