LOCAL HOUSING ALLOWANCE RECALCULATION

That this House opposes the proposals to calculate local housing allowance using the 30th percentile of market rents instead of the 50th percentile; recognises that this will cause undue hardship and homelessness to young people between the ages of 16 to 24, and will disproportionately affect young people who receive only 51 per week in jobseeker's allowance and income support, by taking up to a further 10 per week out of their pocket; realises that this policy will put accommodation out of reach of those estranged from their parents, will force more young people onto the streets and will make tenancies unaffordable for young people surviving on a week-by-week basis on the current rates of local housing allowance; and acknowledges that this policy ignores how small changes in weekly income can have disastrous consequences for those who are on small incomes to start with.