Young say pensioners should get more than the jobless
MOST young adults would rather give welfare payments to pensioners than to the unemployed, a report says.
In further evidence that young voters are drifting to the Right, a poll found they are three times more likely to support spending on universal handouts for the elderly than for jobless claimants.
Among those known as Generation Y – born between 1980 and 2000 – almost half old enough to vote chose pensions as a priority for extra Government spending, compared with one in six for unemployment benefits.
The report, by think- tank Demos and pollster Ipsos Mori, shows a general decline of support for the welfare state among people of all ages.
It comes after several reports suggested a hardening of views among today’s youth and a general move to the Right.
A study in June found that support for the Tories among Generation Y has doubled from 10 per cent to 20.5 per cent in the eight years since David Cameron became Conservative leader.
A poll put Tory backing among the 18-to-24s at 31 per cent, four points ahead of Labour. The Demos report, which draws on the British Social Attitudes annual survey of 3,000 people,
‘Elderly seen as more vulnerable’
suggests younger voters are particularly Right-wing on welfare.
While only a quarter of younger voters said they were proud of the welfare state, 70 per cent of people born before 1948 agreed it was one of Britain’s proudest achievements. Commentators believe this shows a growing acceptance among those in their 20s and 30s t hat t hey s hould be more self-reliant. Respondents were asked: ‘Which, if any, of these would be your highest or second highest priority for extra spending?’ They could choose from pensions, child benefits, unemployment benefits, disability benefits and single parent benefits. Generation Y was the only age group to show a decline in support for disability benefits, down three points to 20 per cent since 2007.
The main parties are looking at whether to end universal handouts for older people. These have been ring- f enced f ollowing a promise by Mr Cameron not to touch them during the course of this Parliament.
Demos deputy director Duncan O’Leary said: ‘A large proportion of the “grey vote” isn’t grey at all. Younger people see pensioners as both vulnerable and deserving – which is why their benefits are still popular.’
Julia Unwin, chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation social research charity, said: ‘What worries me is the growing misunderstanding about people claiming benefits, including those who are disabled.
‘We know from research that most people who claim out- ofwork benefits want to find a job. Myths about welfare destroy confidence in our system of social security.’