DURING the last few years we have witnessed dramatic changes in the way almost everyone has seen their lives affected by the Government’s austerity programme.

Austerity is forecast to continue until the UK reduces its level of public spending to American levels. At 36 per cent, this is currently the third lowest in the developed world.

Young people are one of the worst affected groups when looking at the impact of the austerity programme. Perhaps this is because they are an easier target – after all, they are less likely to vote. With the forthcoming European referendum, the Government’s resistance to reduce the voting age to 16 is significant as it would ensure that young people have even less say in their future.

For generations, parents have aspired to ensure that their children achieve a better quality of life than they themselves had. Sadly, this is becoming an increasingly unrealistic goal.

Those born in the early 1990s were the first generation to see their incomes stagnate. During the financial crisis, youth unemployment rose at twice the national average and last year was three times the national average.

The impact of austerity on young lives doesn’t end there – the education maintenance allowance, which helped young people from poorer households stay in education, was abolished; careers advice was significantly reduced; the Future Jobs Fund which guaranteed youngsters six months’ employment and was heralded by the DWP as a great success, was cancelled.

Housing is also an issue should young people become unemployed when living independently. Bedroom tax has meant that there is a limited availability of one-bedroom accommodation in the social sector, forcing people into privately rented accommodation. Local Housing Allowance for privately rented accommodation is restricted to the shared accommodation rate for under-35s – currently only £63.25 per week in Copeland. With Job Seekers Allowance currently at £57.90 per week for under 25s there is no opportunity to contribute towards any rent shortfall should a young person become unemployed when living in privately rented accommodation. This inevitably leads to rent arrears which in turn can exclude young people from social housing or at best, give them reduced preference.

Young people attending university are facing ever-increasing debts as tuition fees continue to rise. When leaving university graduate-level jobs are available to only half the population. The rest are faced with low-paid, low-skilled work.

Whilst the recent announcement on an apprenticeship funding levy on businesses is welcomed, I hope that the apprenticeships provide the programmes our young people need to secure good-quality training and well-paid employment. Readers might well be surprised at the fact that a large number of individuals classed as “apprentices” before the general election, were over 60 years of age and another significant cohort were over 40 years of age!

Fundamentally, young people will be expected to work and pay for the pensions of the increasing population of the elderly.

They deserve a far better deal than they have been offered now. As politicians knock on doors exhorting young adults to go to the polling stations to vote, eventually we might get the message through that their vote can influence their lives.