UK parents having to abandon plans to retire as jobless children ‘live at home cost free’ | UK | News
UK parents are being forced to abandon retirement plans as unemployed children ‘live at home for free’ (Image: Getty)
British parents will be forced to delay retirement to fund their adult children living at home, a former minister has warned. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that more than half of young people in their early twenties live with their parents as they face a tough job market and rapidly rising costs of living.
The rate among 25- to 34-year-olds has also increased over the past decade, from 13 percent to 18 percent between 2006 and 2024. Alan Milburn, who is leading a government review into youth unemployment, said the rising numbers were putting pressure on parents, who he said “have a right to life”.
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he said Times: “Official figures on Neets mask the family support system on the brink. Too many parents become the invisible welfare state. They fund adult children and also often absorb their mental health crises. They are unwitting victims of this Neets crisis.”
Mr Milburn said young people’s living conditions were driven by necessity, not desire, due to a lack of opportunity.
According to Labor Force Survey figures, the number of young people not in employment, education and training (Neets) is now close to one million. Many young people face an incredibly tough job market, facing skyrocketing house prices; Many report that they applied for hundreds of jobs but got no results.
“They want to work and get on with life, but the opportunities offered to them are not as good as they should be.”
He said this means that, for at least some parents, retirement “must be postponed”, which means “putting their lives on hold”.
Young Neets are a key focus in Government. At Labour’s annual conference in September, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that any young person working on Universal Credit for 18 months “without earning or learning” would be offered a guaranteed paid work placement.
This follows a “Youth Guarantee” announced last November, which promised every 18 to 21-year-old in England help to find apprenticeships, education, training opportunities or employment.
Rachel Reeves announced her ‘Youth Guarantee’ plan last November (Image: Getty)
Work and Pensions Minister Pat McFadden said the government wanted to ensure “every young person, no matter where they are from or their background, has the chance to succeed”.
The figures also showed that the number of young people applying for unemployment benefits has risen sharply across much of the UK since Labor came to power, although the number of claimants overall has fallen.
In October, there were 323,000 young adult applicants ages 18-24; this number was 37,000 more than at the last election in July 2024. Some people receiving these benefits may actually be working but earning below the threshold.
It has increased significantly since before the pandemic. The number of young people claiming unemployment benefits was 89,000 more than in the month before COVID.
Ken James, Director Contractor Mortgage ServicesHe warned that the impact of youth unemployment extends to every aspect of young people’s lives.
“This leads to loss of structure, reduced self-belief, mental health problems and long-term inactivity. This isn’t about creating more vacancies, it’s about clear pathways, mentorship and visible role models.”
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