Young people should have legal guarantee to job or training, Milburn tells BBC

Former Labour minister Alan Milburn has proposed a legal guarantee for young people to receive a job, training, or employment support, arguing for a radical shift in government spending. In a review to be published Tuesday, Milburn suggests reallocating funds from benefits to employment support, proposing a ratio change from the current £25 spent on benefits for every £1 on support to a two-to-one ratio.

This shift would involve cutting benefits for those who refuse assistance and removing certain health benefits for those under 25. Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the report as a watershed moment but declined to commit to its full implementation.

The proposal faces mixed reactions, with Lord Blunkett supporting the reallocation of funds, while the Green Party warned against demonizing disabled youth and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed employment schemes as likely to fail.