Milburn urges welfare spending shift to support young people into work
Labour adviser Alan Milburn has urged the Government to shift some spending from welfare benefits towards employment support for young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). The proposal comes as Andy Burnham calls the scale of youth disengagement an “economic catastrophe and a moral failure”, while promising early support and work opportunities; reducing welfare spending is likely to be contentious within Labour.
Official figures put the number of UK NEETs aged 16 to 24 at 981,000 between April and June, about one in eight of that age group. Milburn is expected to make recommendations in a report due after the Budget, including closer integration of jobs, mental health and benefits support. Government plans include 22,400 annual apprenticeships for under-25s in professional services and 40,000 construction placements, alongside an expectation that young people take up available opportunities.
- Milburn proposes shifting welfare spending towards employment support.
- 981,000 young people were NEET between April and June.
- Government plans include apprenticeships and construction placements.
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“NEET” describes young people who are not in education, employment or training. UK figures recorded 981,000 people aged 16 to 24 in this position between April and June, around one in eight of that age group.
Alan Milburn advises Labour on welfare and employment policy, while Andy Burnham is the Mayor of Greater Manchester. The Government is planning apprenticeships and work placements for young people, and Milburn is expected to recommend ways to link employment, mental health and benefits support.
The debate is about how public money can best help young people into work, and what support or expectations should apply. A shift away from benefits towards employment services could affect how people receive help, making the proposal a point of disagreement within Labour.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Shifting some welfare spending into employment, skills and mental health support could help young people overcome barriers before they become entrenched, while connecting assistance more directly to available work. Supporters may argue that well-funded opportunities, alongside expectations to take them up, can improve prospects and reduce long-term reliance on benefits.
The case against
Welfare benefits provide essential income security, and reducing them could deepen hardship for young people whose unemployment reflects health conditions, caring responsibilities or a shortage of suitable jobs. Critics may argue that employment support and placements should be funded without cutting benefits, and that the headline number of opportunities does not show whether they are accessible or adequate for those who need them.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Labour adviser says welfare should be curbed to get NEETs into work – as Burnham warns crisis among young people is ‘economic catastrophe’”.