Teribus
We can no longer afford our Welfare State because too many people want something for nothing."

In a sense, you're right, but probably not in the way you intended. Housing Benefit takes up a massive chunk of the 'welfare state'. A huge proportion of HB is claimed by people actually in work. Hardly 'something for nothing'.

The problem with HB isn't the claimants - it's not as if they're setting the rents. The problem is BTL landlords high on 'property porn' TV with expectations ramped up by a media's obsession with property prices. The problem is with the current government actively ramping-up HB costs by forcing Housing Associations to ramp up the rents of 'social housing' so they are 80% of 'market value'. The problem is an artificially created dearth of available/cheap housing triggered by 'council housing' sell-offs.

Bring back rent caps and create a massive 'council house' building programme with councils actually building and maintaining the stock rather than private firms and HB and the over-all cost of the 'welfare state' will drop like a stone. Also, like existing (ex) council stock, they'll pay for themselves many times over.