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Sun, 24 May 2026

Sun, 24 May 2026 'Shameful' more spent on benefits than jobs for young people, says Milburn

Reforms are needed of the welfare system to tackle the high numbers of young people not in work or education, says Alan Milburn.

* The government spends £25 on benefits for young people, while spending only £1 on supporting them into work.
* Nearly 1 million young people (957,000) in the UK are not working, studying or taking part in training programmes (Neets), with half deemed economically inactive as they're not looking for work.
* A report by former minister Alan Milburn will conclude that the problem is a result of a widespread failure on behalf of the state, including failures in the welfare system, school system, skills system and health system.
* The report's main recommendations to tackle the problem will be published later this year, but it's expected to call for a "system reset" with significant reforms to the benefits system.
* Milburn highlighted that entry-level jobs are disappearing, making it harder for young people to get into work, and warned that the rise in mental health problems among young people should not be used as an excuse to keep them out of work.