UK Government to Guarantee Jobs for Young Benefit Claimants After 12 Months

LONDON, Nov 15 (OPA) — Every 18-to-24-year-old on Universal Credit will be guaranteed a job after 12 months under an expansion of a taxpayer-funded government scheme. Starting in April, the waiting period for benefit claimants to become eligible will be reduced from 18 months, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. The programme funds up to 25 hours of paid work a week at the minimum wage, matched to the participant's skills.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden stated that the longer someone remains unemployed, the harder reentry becomes. 'No young person should be left waiting on a scrapheap for an opportunity,' McFadden said, adding that the department secured a deal with the Tourism Alliance to create 50,000 jobs for young people not in education, employment, or training (Neets) during this Parliament. Funding for the initiative derives from the government's wider £2.5 billion employment support package.

The policy announcement precedes a major forthcoming report by Alan Milburn, due on Tuesday, which is expected to recommend a legal entitlement to work, training, or employment support for young people. Neets figures surpassed one million earlier this year for the first time in over a decade. Milburn's review will propose shifting under-25s from the health element of Universal Credit and personal independence payments onto a new youth allowance.

The Conservative opposition criticized the expansion, arguing it addresses symptoms rather than causes. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch asserted that government policies increase business costs while relying on subsidized placements. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats questioned why young people must wait a full year on benefits before receiving targeted employment assistance.