Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on LGBT young people of the announcement in the Budget of the withdrawal of housing benefit from under-21 year-olds, in the light of the statistics from the Albert Kennedy Trust that indicate that 69 per cent of LGBT young people in that age group have had to leave their family home and cannot return due to issues surrounding coming out.

To prevent young people slipping straight into a life on benefits, from April 2017 the Government will remove the automatic entitlement to housing support for new claims in Universal Credit from 18-21 year olds who are out of work. This will ensure young people in the benefits system face the same choices as young people who work and who may not be able to afford to leave home.

We will ensure that vulnerable young people who are in need of support for their housing needs continue to receive it. Government will consider the impact in line with our legal obligations as part of that process.