Young man working in construction looks frustrated

Campaign with us to Make Work Pay

A benefit system that puts people off work is a broken system. 

Young people deserve to reach their full potential and be excited about their future in work.  But right now, outdated benefit rules are holding them back.

The Government is so close to changing this in the upcoming Budget, let’s make sure they don’t forget.

So what's the issue?

If you work more hours, you should be better off. It should be that simple. 

But this isn’t the case for more than 30,000 young people who have experienced homelessness. Because of a long-standing flaw in the system, the moment they work more hours, vital benefits are stripped away – often leaving them worse-off for trying to find their independence. 

Join us to take the opportunity to fix a cruel quirk that leaves people living in supported accommodation worse off in work.  

We are calling on the Government to Make Work Pay and end the benefit trap that homeless young people are facing. Will you join us?

Tell your MP to Make Work Pay

End the benefit trap

Watch Beth's story navigating the benefit trap

A major flaw in the system means young people facing homelessness are worse off the more they work. It doesn’t make sense – but it’s true. Because of an oversight in an already complex benefits system, young people are being penalised for working hard to get out of homelessness. 

The UK Government's Budget is our chance to put things right - but only if enough of us raise our voices. Watch Beth's story to find out how to join the campaign and end the benefit trap.  

Woman looks worried in warehouse

Email your MP now

Every young person deserves the chance to build a life with secure housing and meaningful work - and your MP can help make that happen. This is a crucial time to make sure that MPs up and down the country know about the benefit trap and join our call for the Chancellor to fix the system.

Email your MP now
Lady in kitchen
"I haven't lived in supported housing for about four years and I'm still playing catch up [with] all of the debt that put me in.

I'm still fighting. It's a fight. It's a constant fight and it just doesn't end. Even when you're out of that system, you still feel wrong. You still want to get justice, but there's nothing available.”

- Ellie, young person who experienced the benefit trap

Making Work Pay - the research

Young people in supported accommodation are effectively blocked from working more than a minimum number of hours – leaving them unemployed and struggling to escape homelessness.  

This is because, when these young people start work, their Universal Credit is tapered in line with their earnings. Once their Universal Credit is tapered to nil, their income is reassessed under housing benefit rules – at a higher rate of 65 per cent.  

This disincentivises work above a certain number of hours and, in some cases, getting a job at all.

Centrepoint found that addressing this issue could move thousands into employment and save the government over £12 million per year. 

Read our research on Making Work Pay

Read the 2024 #Planforthe136k Open Letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves

The #Planforthe136k collective of over 140 youth, homelessness and housing association organisations have come together to urge the Chancellor Rachel Reeves to support our campaign to Make Work Pay.

This is a shared call for the Chancellor Rachel Reeves to commit to Making Work Pay and ending the benefit trap that homeless young people in supported accommodation face when working. The campaign highlights how important a simple policy change from the Chancellor in the October Budget will be to the future of homeless young people’s ability to work. 

Make Work Pay – An Open Letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves 

14 October 2024 

Dear Chancellor Rachel Reeves,

We are a collective of over 140 youth, homelessness and housing association organisations who urge you to support our campaign to Make Work Pay in supported accommodation. We share your commitment to making work pay and growing the economy in a way that benefits everyone. 

We are asking you to remove the benefit trap that homeless young people in supported accommodation face when working.

Work is incredibly important for homeless young people – it's the chance to build confidence, gain financial independence and leave homelessness behind for good. 

However, the current benefits system punishes homeless young people living in supported accommodation who are just trying to work. Thousands are finding that their path to more money and an independent future is blocked because their housing benefit is tapered faster than their pay would increase if they started working more hours – leaving them with less overall income. 

What is worse is that this only affects people living in supported accommodation because they receive their rent via legacy Housing Benefit. Private renters – who receive Universal Credit to support their rent – have a much more lenient taper rate and so get a fairer deal.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. As the Chancellor, you can fix this in October’s Budget and change the futures for thousands of homeless young people. Centrepoint estimates that the Treasury could save over £12 million a year by ending the benefit trap and supporting thousands of young people into work; with the actual saving likely to be much higher as there are thousands more people living in supported accommodation over 25. 

You can unlock thousands of young people’s potential by lowering the Housing Benefit taper rate and increasing the applicable amount available under Housing Benefit. 

The current system sets up young people experiencing homelessness to fail. At the start of their careers, we should be encouraging them to dream big. Instead, we have them facing an impossible choice: work fewer hours in less meaningful jobs to avoid getting into debt - or chase their career ambitions by working more hours but struggling to afford basic essentials. 

We should be encouraging young people to dream big, whatever their background – rather than asking them to work more hours, for less overall income. 

The benefit system should promote work and foster ambition, particularly for people just entering the jobs market. On 30 October, you have a chance to create that system; we urge you to take it.

An unjust benefit system that disincentivises work and hinders ambition is a broken system. On 30 October you have a chance to fix it, we urge you to take it. 

Sincerely, 

1625 Independent People

akt
Aberdeen Foyer
Adullam Homes
Alabare
Amber
Ayr Housing Aid Centre
Become
BHT Sussex
Broxtowe Youth Homelessness
Buttle UK
Canopy
Cardinal Hume Centre
Caring in Bristol
Carlisle Key
Centrepoint
CGL - Change, Grow, Live
Changing Lives
Christian Action Housing
Cirencester Housing for Young People
Citizen Housing
Clarion
Clocktower Sanctaury
Coatham House Projects
Commonweal
Community Campus 87
Coops Foyer
Coram
Coram Voice
Crossroads Derbyshire
Depaul Ireland
Depaul UK
Doorstep
Doorway
Drive Forward Foundation
End Furniture Poverty
End Youth Homelessness Cymru
Every Youth
Evolve Housing + Support
Extern
Falcon Support Services
Fat Macy's
Foyer Federation
Fully Focused (Million Youth Media)
G15
GISDA
Glass Door
Gloucestershire Nightstop
Greater Change
Greater Manchester Better Outcomes Partnerships (GMBOP)
Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity
Growth Company
Habitat for Humanity Great Britain
Herts Young Homeless
Home Connections
Homefinder Uk
Hopestead
Impact Initiatives
Include Youth
Inspirechilli
iWill
Key Unlocking Futures
Korban Project
L&Q
LandAid
Latch
Lifeshare
LivShare Housing & Consultancy
Llamau
Local Solutions
London Youth
MACS Supporting Children & Young People
Mayor's Fund for London
Missing People
Moving On
MTVH (Metropolitan and Thames Valley Housing)
My Bnk
My Life My Say
National Housing Federation
Network Homes
NHYC
Nightsafe
Nightstop Network
On Side
Only a Pavement Away
Origin Housing
Oxfordshire Youth
P3 - People Potential Possibilities
Park Lodge Project
Partnership for Young London
Proxy Address
Ravenhead Foyer
Red Thread
Redditch Nightstop
Rock Trust
Roundabout
Rush House
Safe and Sound Homes (SASH)
Settle
Shelter Community
Simon Community
SLEAP
Southend YMCA
Spring Housing Association
Springboard Opportunities
St. Christopher's Fellowship
St. Petrocs
St. Basil's
Stepping Stone Projects
Stonewall Housing
Street Soccer
Streetlink
Sussex Nightstop
Switchback
The Bridge
The Children's Society
The Running Charity
The Warren
The Whitechapel Centre
The Zone, Plymouth
Two Saints Limited
UK Youth
Verve Place
Volunteering matters
Wipers Youth
Wyre Forest & South Worcestershire Nightstop and Mediation Service
YMCA Downslink
YMCA East Surrey
YMCA England & Wales
YMCA Exeter
YMCA London City & North
YMCA Scotland
YMCA Trinity Group
You Thrive
Young Camden Foundation
Young Devon
Young Women's Housing Project
Young Women's Trust
Your Housing Group
Your Place
Youth Access
Youth Concern
Youth Employment
YWCA

https://www.planforthe136k.org.uk/ 

Amplify the campaign on your channels

We want as many people as possible to amplify the campaign, whether that be on your social media channels or to MPs when you are having conversations with them. Feel free to download either our social media pack or our sector-wide briefing for MPs on this issue.
Download our social media pack 3.76 MB
Download the Make Work Pay briefing for MPs 131.1 KB