Before we get going, let me explain that I am not advocating a cessation of help and support for the young people in our society, just that it shouldn’t be done in preference to other groups – and that whatever help and support is given, should never be allowed to be to the detriment of other groups.
Now, let me explain why. Let’s agree that being out of work, or being homeless is awful, and that it is bad regardless of what gender or age you are. I mention homelessness as it is one of the very real possible consequences of being unemployed.

For young people, staring into a future without a job, or feeling they have limited or perhaps no prospects, can be extremely daunting. For some, it is made worse because they come from a background where their peers are in a similar position and therefore unable to provide much in the way of support and encouragement. Additionally, many young people have grown up in households where worklessness and the attendant despair was part of their life and helped form their world-view.

Our children, whether our own or those of our extended families, tug at heart-strings that make matters like these difficult to ignore, and it is therefore quite natural for us to want them to find jobs and homes, and for them to grow up to be successful and happy, and ultimately, contributors to our society.

It is emotionally and psychologically satisfying to say that we are helping the young, and when politicians do so, it pushes all the right buttons.

This is however the wrong group to target help and support. To repeat my introduction: I am not advocating a cessation of help and support for the young people in our society, just that it shouldn’t be done in preference to other groups – and that whatever help and support is given should never be allowed to be to the detriment of other groups.

Out of the whole of society, especially those who might need a helping hand, most young have immediate resources available, without needing the state to help.

However difficult and frustrating it may be, they almost always have parents they can live with. Why should the state pay for youngsters to have housing when they have parents who can provide for them?

Too much nonsense is talked about rights, and how these young people somehow have a right to housing.

Compare their situation with that of an older person. Someone who might have worked hard all their life, and for reasons that don’t matter here, find themselves out of work and needing help.

What does an older person do when they need help with housing? If they have no dependents and are not deemed to be vulnerable in medical terms, there is no requirement under law for local councils to provide housing.

Unlike younger people, they probably do not have parents still alive who can put them up. They might have other family who could help, but this is usually fraught with difficulties. Quite apart from the fact that distant family are unlikely to have the same sense of responsibility that a parent might feel, most adults will have accumulated furniture and other possessions that cannot easily be moved into someone’s bedroom, even if such a relative could be found.

What about friends? While young people are hardy enough to be able to sleep on a friend’s sofa without too much difficulty, this is more likely to drive an adult, especially if they are older, to thoughts of despair.

By any measure, becoming homeless as an older adult is significantly more distressing than for a younger person.

And yet, a young person can get themselves pregnant and immediately find themselves happily housed by the state.

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