Abolish the 16 Hour Housing Benefit Rule
If you’re over 19 and want to study full-time in Further Education, you can’t claim housing benefit.
Many young people in Foyers could, if given the opportunity, attain qualifications at a much higher level than those they currently have, thus increasing their chances of getting a decent job or going to university.
For many young people who have had disrupted and chaotic learning backgrounds, this is their last opportunity to catch up with their peers.
If you’re living independently and often without parental support, housing benefit is a lifeline.
The 16 Hour Housing Benefit rule means those left furthest behind take even longer to catch up.
For young people who have faced difficult and chaotic circumstances, it robs them of even more self confidence and leaves them even less likely to complete their studies.
“Mark always wanted to go to university. To achieve this he needed to complete an Access Course. He was the 19 years old. In order not to be even later in starting Higher Education he wanted to do this course full time. Nevertheless, he was dependant on his Housing Benefit to be able to pay his rent regularly to the Foyer. He decided to study full time so that he could reach his goal sooner. He lost his benefits but managed to find a part time job in retail so that he could remain in the Foyer. However, he could not cope with the burden of studying and working simultaneously and had to abandon the course half way through.
This September, Mark enrolled to the Access Course again so that he could give his last try to make his dreams to come true. He is now 21 and still studying his Access course for University, but part time.”
"There was a girl who was 18 and she started on an NVQ Level 3 in Child Care. Just four months before the course finished she turned 19 and had to give up on the qualification as she couldn't afford to lose the housing benefit for 4 months."
"There was one young woman who was 19. She tried to do A Levels before 19, but failed as she'd had personal/family problems. When she came into the Foyer, she wanted to try again, but wasn't able to keep the Housing Benefit. She chose to go to college to do A Levels and secured a part-time job in a supermarket as a cashier. She has found it very difficult to balance this, like many young people."
