§ Mr. HawkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what problems he has identified arising from recent changes in social security regulations relating to homelessness among young people; and whether he intends to make any changes to the regulations.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe broad thrust of our policy for the majority of 16 and 17-year-olds is correct; it would be irresponsible to provide a perverse incentive to leave home needlessly.
However, our monitoring and discussions with interested bodies revealed earlier this year that a minority were facing real difficulties. As a result, the following changes were made in July:
- (a) 16 and 17-year-olds on income support who, for good reason, have to live independently, became entitled to a higher rate of income support as a recognition of higher and unavoidable expenses (there was a similar relaxation in the rules governing housing benefit);
- (b) in addition, entitlement to income support during the child benefit extension period was extended to those 16 and 17-year-olds genuinely estranged from their parents;
- (c) those 16 and 17-year-olds who seek emergency accommodation in night shelters are now automatically considered for payment of income support under the "severe hardship" provisions;
- (d) special training arrangements were introduced for those officials who deal with claims from the vulnerable group of young people who are estranged from their families or who have had to leave home for some other good reason.
Those who are homeless continue to be able to claim a social fund crisis loan to enable them to secure accommodation.
We continue to monitor the effects of the 1988 social security reforms including those affecting 16 and 17-year-olds.