Labour's Report on Youth Unemployment Delayed Until After Budget Amid Cost Concerns
A key report outlining strategies to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEETs) is reportedly postponed until November.
A comprehensive report detailing how to address the rising number of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEETs) is expected to be released after the upcoming Budget, according to reports. The recommendations, compiled by former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn, who has been tasked with reviewing the welfare system, are not anticipated to be made public until November.
Milburn was commissioned by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer to conduct a review into youth unemployment. The current number of NEETs stands at approximately one million. Andy Burnham, who succeeded Starmer as Prime Minister, has stated his commitment to reducing this figure.
The report's release is reportedly being held back until after the October 28 Budget to avoid overshadowing the government's fiscal plans, The Times reported. Sources suggest that the delay is also linked to concerns about the significant upfront investment required for the proposed welfare overhaul, with potential savings not expected until the end of the decade.
Milburn previously told the Financial Times that "If we're going to put in more support for young people... of course we're going to have to invest behind that. That absolutely has to happen."
However, a Whitehall source expressed confusion regarding the delay, stating that the Department for Work and Pensions had not established a definitive publication date. The Milburn review is one of several government reports on the welfare system due in the coming weeks, including Social Security Minister Stephen Timms' review of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Spending on PIP, a disability benefit, has seen a substantial increase, reaching £27.3 billion by 2024-25 from £16.3 billion in 2019-20, and is forecast to rise to £41.5 billion by 2030-31. The Department for Work and Pensions affirmed that "The Milburn review will be published this autumn as planned. This important work was commissioned to tackle the crisis of opportunity facing young people, and the Government will respond to the final report in due course."