Catch-22 harbours recipe for misery

JANE, 17, managed to get a Youth Training place last year, but she had to leave it three days later when she was made homeless. Because the benefit rules prevented her from claiming Income Support, she was left penniless as well, writes Rosie Waterhouse.

Jane had been forced to leave the family home in Newcastle upon Tyne because of her stepfather's violence, and had moved into in a bed-and- breakfast hotel where she shared a shower block and a lounge with 20 others.

'There was no privacy and I had no rights whatsoever,' she said. Her situation was not helped when she lost her part- time job - her only source of income. She found a Youth Training place soon after, but then relations at the hotel deteriorated and she had to leave.

'My rent was paid for me but the landlord asked for an extra pounds 10 a week and there were bills to pay. I had to cut down on food. People would ask me round for tea and I'd go, otherwise I wouldn't have anything.' Because she was homeless once more, she was unable to attend the Youth Training course. Because she was not on YT she was not entitled to claim Income Support.

Jane was put in touch with a centre called The Base, run by Barnardo's in Whitley Bay, where she was helped to overcome the bureaucratic obstacles to claim hardship payments. Now she is back home and hoping for another Youth Training place, and a way out.

The Base has helped about 120 young people to claim hardship payments in the past year. 'If a 16 or 17 year-old comes to The Base homeless, they have nearly all got fairly horrendous tales to tell,' Richard Taylor, who runs the centre, said. 'Before we can try to help them with their homelessness we have to try to get them severe hardship payments because if they can't get benefit they won't be entitled to have their rent paid by housing benefit. It's catch-22.'