Not all 24 year olds are the same

Cameron’s suggestion today that housing benefit should be stopped for everyone under 25 is an example of poor policy, based on generalisations. It appears to be based on a stereotype of how people live, or should live, i.e. that if you’re under 25 you can live with your parents. Whilst it may make sense for some people, there are so many people for whom this would not work. For example, what about if you’re currently entitled to housing benefit due to being in low paid work, but not living anywhere near your family; what if you don’t have any family, or were brought up in the care system; what if your parents have decided to live abroad but you don’t want to; what if neither parent has enough room in their house, and so on....

One of the reasons I came into politics initially was a frustration with a system that fitted people into boxes, and failed to see people as individuals. For me, a policy of refusing housing benefit to anyone under 25 would do just this.

I became frustrated with policy ‘boxes’ when I was 28, and applying to do an MA. Many of the grant application forms asked me how much money my parents earned. I was not impressed with the question. I didn’t know how much my parents earned, nor did I want to know. It was none of my business, and certainly not the business of the people asking the question. It felt as though I didn’t fit the ‘box’ of someone applying for funding straight from university, and so was being ruled out on that basis.

I’ve noticed that much of the comment on the housing benefit story so far has referred to families, children, married couples, etc. But many people don’t fit into that ‘box’. There seems to be an assumption that people will live at home until they get married. If policy is made based on stereotypes from the 1950’s it will only restrict young people, discourage them from taking risks and innovating, trying new things and creating their own lives independent of their parents.

Policy needs to be made in a way that appreciates everyone’s different circumstances. Something that boxes a whole group of people together like these housing benefit proposals, and treats them all the same, is only going to lead to weak policy with unintended consequences.