Alan Milburn, author of a government-commissioned review, argues that reducing welfare payments could fund employment programmes for the 1 million young people not in work, education or training.
01Summary
- 01Alan Milburn, a former Labour health secretary, told the Guardian the welfare system 'just isn't working for young people'.
- 02His review found a record 1 million 18- to 24-year-olds are classed as Neet (not in education, employment or training).
- 0360% of these Neets have never had a job, which Milburn described as a 'youth detachment' problem.
- 04Chancellor John Healey announced a £100m 'local apprenticeship service' at Labour conference, calling it a 'downpayment on Alan Milburn's work'.
- 05Milburn's final report, delayed until after the budget, is likely to recommend integrating employment, health and benefits support with upfront investment.
02Why it matters
This matters because the proposed cuts to welfare could affect benefits for young people, while the review calls for hundreds of millions in new spending to tackle a crisis that has left one in five young people disengaged from work or education.
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