09 January 2017

Homelessness charity Centrepoint has warned that today's increasingly casualised labour market is forcing young people to live on the streets.

Head of Policy and Research at the organisation Jennifer Barnes explained to the Independent that private landlords are unlikely to accept tenants on zero-hour contracts over those with guaranteed hours or those entitled to housing benefit because they are fearful the young person will not make enough money to pay rent.

"They are desperate to get experience to improve their long-term prospects. They are being pushed by the Job Centre to take these zero-hours contracts. But if all they can access is a zero-hours contract, it will definitely be harder for them to escape homelessness in the long-term," she told the newspaper.

Our Manifesto for Labour Law includes 25 recommendations for the reform of employment legislation, many of which aim to protect workers currently in vulnerable contracts such as agency workers, "bogus" self-employed workers, and those on zero-hours contracts. Our proposals, which have been adopted by the Labour Party, include introducing a universal definition of "worker" so that all people in employment are entitled to workers' rights from Day One; and a shift in focus from statutory minimums to collectively agreed wages and conditions, which would provide for all workers across individual sectors regardless of how they are employed.

Read more about our Manifesto for Labour Law and purchase your copy