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.
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