Inquiry launched as nearly one million young people out of work and education
The government is launching an independent review into the growing number of unemployed and uneducated young people across the UK.
Nearly one million people aged 16 to 24 (one in eight) are not currently working or studying, according to Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden. This figure is expected to increase in the coming weeks.
The investigation into the rising figures will be led by former Labor health minister Alan Milburn and its findings will be published in summer 2026.
“The growing number of young people not in education, employment or training is an opportunity crisis that requires greater action to give them the chance to learn or earn,” McFadden said. The Times.
“We cannot afford to lose a generation of young people to a life of benefits with no job prospects and not enough hope.”
The government reported that 948,000 youth (tagged as Neet) were not in work, education or training as of June 2025.
The number is planned to exceed one million within the next few months, McFadden said. This marks the highest figures for the group in more than a decade.
A quarter of unemployed and uneducated young people see long-term illness or disability as an obstacle. This compares heavily with the figure of 12 per cent in 2013/2014.
The Department for Work and Pensions says the number of young people claiming UC Health and Employment Support Allowance has increased by more than 50 per cent in the last five years.
Nearly 80 percent of youth who claim the UC Health element claim the benefit for mental health reasons or a neurodevelopmental condition.
McFadden avoided over-diagnosing mental health issues affecting young people and said he did not want to play the role of an “amateur doctor”.
“I want to approach this issue sensitively,” he said. “The question I ask is this: Given the higher rates of reporting of these disorders among young people, what is the best policy response?”
“I don’t believe there should be an automatic connection between diagnosis and benefits. I think we should ask a different question at this point: If you have a diagnosis, what can we do to help you?”
He suggested that a change in approach could help young people in disenfranchised communities affected by inequalities, where the number of Neets is significantly higher.
“There’s a lot of anger and frustration out there right now, and there’s a lot of politicians who will go around and find something to piss people off and pour gasoline on it,” he said.
“Work is the best antidote to many of the situations we see.”
