£1600 for a duck island, £300 for bedding

Private Eye ran a story on the law lords ruling last week, on a 17 year old being chucked out of his home, who then spent months staying on friends' sofas, sleeping in cars and washing his clothes wherever he could.  Baroness Hale of Richmond said that the "child" was in need, as Southwark Homeless Persons Unit had decided that he should simply be referred to bed and breakfast accommodation.  The result is a review of the treatment of the 4,000 lone under-18s who are accommodated by housing departments, rather than by social services.  

Two things occurred to me reading this.  Firstly, how easy it is to change the context of someone's life simply by changing their title from "child" to "young man".  A young man washing his clothes in a public lavatory sounds somehow to blame - describing a child as doing that sounds like neglect.  And also how unpleasant it was to read that local authorities, although permitted to give an allowance of £500 to young careleavers allowing them to buy bedding, kitchen equipment, furniture etc, rarely give more than £300.  How hideously that sits against the litany of top of the range barbecues, duck houses and flat screen televisions we've been reading of in the Telegraph.