New economic analysis finds big fiscal savings from removing barriers to young welfare claimants working.
Martin Kelly
A new study by Stonehaven economists has found that relatively modest investment in Universal Credit claimants in supported housing could offer the taxpayer a return within a 5-year Parliament.
BREAKING BARRIERS TO WORK
An estimated 189,500 working age people live in supported housing across the UK. Supported housing helps these people prepare to move into independent living. But vulnerable young are being held back by an anachronism of welfare policy.
Stonehaven were commissioned by YMCA England & Wales to explore two key proposals:
- Raising the standard allowance for under-25s in supported housing to the same rate as the over-25s
- Introduce a single-person work allowance for all residents of supported housing.
This report, titled ‘Breaking Barriers to Work: Return on Investment Analysis’, finds that a moderate investment of £110m per year could both solve this while saving Government some £18 for every £1 spent.
Read the full YMCA press release on the report via their website.
Download the report, here.
