YOUNG PEOPLE'S UNFAIR HOUSING BENEFITS MUST BE SCRAPPED - LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 12th Oct 2006

The Liberal Democrats have re-affirmed their commitment to scrap an unfair element of Housing Benefit that discriminates against young people.

A decade after its introduction as part of Housing Benefit for under 25's, the Liberal Democrats are advocating abolishing the Single Room Rate.

Liberal Democrat Sam Potts, said:

"For 10 years, successive governments have upheld the Single Room Rate element of housing benefit which systematically discriminates against young people, forcing them into serious debt and making many homeless.

"The Government's own research shows that the Single Room Rate fails to achieve its original goal of encouraging young people to live in shared accommodation."

Liberal Democrat Sam Potts, commented further:

"With appropriate affordable housing increasingly scarce, many young people have been driven into temporary accommodation and even homelessness. This must end.

"Young people are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, with debt and bankruptcies amongst under 25's increasing rapidly.

"Vulnerable young people desperately need and deserve access to the same housing benefits as any other vulnerable people in the UK."

ENDS