HOUSING Minister Kris Hopkins has told a group of young people from the South Hams there are no plans by the coalition government to cut housing benefit for the under-25s and welcomed their aspirations to build their own homes. A delegation of four young people from the Totnes and Dartmouth area travelled to Westminster last Wednesday for a half-hour meeting with the minister where they told him about their problems finding affordable housing. Concern about futher restrictions to housing benefit were heightened in January this year when Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne warned that a future Conservative government would make a further £25bn of spending cuts, hinting that the majority of savings would be found from the welfare budget. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the chancellor suggested that if the Conservatives were to win the next election – which will be held next year – they would seek to save money by cutting housing benefit for under-25s. Prime Minister David Cameron, speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, also in January, also hinted housing benefit could be cut. Will Holland, 20, from Dittisham, Amber Winterburn, 24, Charlie Burls, 19, and Elliot Smith, 28, are all either living with their parents or sleeping on friends' sofas. They explained why affordability is such an issue in the South Hams with many young people on low wages and rents among the highest in the south west. Many would like to build their own homes but highlighted to the minster how difficult it is to get suitable land. Amber Winterburn said: 'We got most of the message across but there was more to say and we could have done with more time. I hope the minister understood that we are interested in solving these problems for ourselves as well as collaborating with others to find solutions.' The delegation explained that there was uncertainty about the future of housing benefit for the under-25s and it was making housing associations and others uneasy about bringing forward housing schemes for this age group. Minister Kris Hopkins said plans to cut housing benefit for younger people was not current government policy. He highlighted new multi-million pound investment in housing schemes aimed at creating more affordable rental homes and self-build projects. South Hams MP Dr Sarah Wollaston and South Hams Council have been working with the young people for some time and helped to organise the meeting with the minister. District county councillor Jonathan Hawkins, who drove the group to London, said: 'I think the meeting was very helpful. 'I hope the minister now understands the issues we have in the South Hams. They are very severe at the moment.' Dr Wollaston said she would be following up the meeting with more detailed information for the minister on the concerns and ideas of the young people. Responding to Mr Osborne's warning, at the time, Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said his plans to cut housing benefit for under 25s were a 'dangerous move' that could undermine efforts to rebuild the economy. She said: 'In an attempt to control costs, government is concentrating its efforts on entitlement to benefits rather than the fundamental problems in our housing and labour markets. 'CIH has already warned that cutting housing benefit for under 25s would be a dangerous move. It is difficult to build the economy without a young, mobile workforce. It would mean that young people would be unwilling to take risks such as moving for work because there would be no safety net for them. 'It also fails to take into account the reality of many people's lives – many under 25s will have paid tax and national insurance for several years before needing to claim benefits. 'If the Government really wants to cut the housing benefit bill, it should look at tackling the UK's housing crisis by building more homes. 'The reason the housing benefit bill is so high is that the cost of housing is becoming unaffordable for many people, including an increasing number of people in work.'