Young Homeless (Hansard, 8 February 1999)

§ Angela Eagle

This Department supports organisations which provide temporary accommodation and an active resettlement programme for single homeless people under Section 30 of the Jobseekers Act 1995. All of the projects receiving Section 30 funding cater for young people aged 18–25, and 35 per cent. cater for 16–17 year olds.

In the current financial year, over £13.2 million is available in revenue funding to enable projects to operate on a break-even basis and over £5 million in capital to build new hostels or to refurbish existing buildings. This supports over 4,200 bed spaces, with nearly 300 more being developed. Provision has increased in recent years, particularly for women, people under the age of 25 and those with specific problems, such as drugs and alcohol.

The Social Exclusion Unit's report on Rough Sleeping recommended that the Department's resettlement provision for London be combined with provision from other Departments within a new London body, from April this year. It is proposed that the remainder of the Department's resettlement programme be transferred to the programmes of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (principally the Housing Corporation) in England and to the Scottish and Welsh Offices. This better co-ordinated approach is intended to reduce the number of rough sleepers, including young people sleeping rough, by two thirds by 2002.

71W

Income related benefits, including Housing Benefit when accommodation is found, are available to young homeless people, subject to the normal conditions of entitlement.

This Department is represented on the Ministerial Committee on Rough Sleeping, chaired by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Local Government.

Benefits for pregnant women under 18
Benefits	Qualifying criteria
Jobseekers Allowance	Certain unemployed young people in prescribed groups, such as those at the end of the Child Benefit Extension Period can get JSA, as can those who can demonstrate that they would suffer severe hardship if JSA was not paid. Young people who are estranged from, or living apart from, their parents for good reasons (including the possibility of abuse) are one of the groups who can get JSA while looking for work or training.
Income support	Those incapable of work by reason of pregnancy, and those within 11 weeks of their expected week of confinement and up to 7 weeks following the date on which the pregnancy ends;
Social fund maternity payments	Awarded to recipients of Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Family Credit or Disability Working Allowance (or, if under 19, be a member of a family where one of these benefits has been awarded) who make the claim within the prescribed time limits
Housing Benefit	Young people who live independently and have a liability to pay a commercial rent are entitled to claim Housing Benefit, irrespective of whether they are pregnant. If entitled they will receive the normal under 25 personal allowance (currently £39.85)
Council Tax Benefit	As there is no liability for Council Tax from anyone under 18, Council Tax Benefit is not paid to this group
Statutory Maternity Pay	(a) that she must have been continuously employed by her employer for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week (the qualifying week) before her expected week of childbirth and to have stopped work for that employer;
	(b) that her normal weekly earnings for the period of 8 weeks ending with the qualifying week are not less than the lower earnings limit for the payment of national insurance contributions;
	(c) that she is pregnant and has reached or been confined before reaching the start of the 11 th week before the expected week of childbirth.
Maternity Allowance	(a) that she is pregnant and has reached, or has been confined before reaching the start of the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth;
	(b) that she has been employed or self-employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks immediately preceding the expected week of childbirth;
	(c) that she has actual paid employed earners and/or self employed earners national insurance contributions for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks immediately preceding the expected week of childbirth;
	(d) that she is not entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay for the same week in respect of the same pregnancy.

Special dietary provision	Qualifying criteria
Welfare foods	All pregnant women in families entitled to income support or an income-based jobseeker's allowance are entitled to receive milk tokens which may be exchanged for seven pints (or four litres) of cows' milk per week. Vitamin supplements are also available free of charge