Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase employment support for young people from age 19 to 25 who are NEET but have not been out of work for 18 months or more.

The Government is increasing support for young people long before they reach 18 months of unemployment through the Youth Guarantee. As part of this, we are investing an additional £2.5 billion by 2029 to support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, helping young people move into work, learning or training.

Since 29 June, young people on Universal Credit who are looking for work have benefited from expanded support and a structured pathway into a job, learning or training from their first appointment in the Jobcentre. Support includes:

• Week 2: Employment and Skills Review focused on skills and progression.
• Weeks 3-12: Tailored Work Coach support to help move into work, learning or training as soon as possible.
• Week 13: Young people not already earning or learning before this point have a Youth Guarantee Gateway appointment followed by four weeks of intensive support. During this period, they will receive tailored guidance and be offered up to six options (which could be: work, work experience, Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP), apprenticeship, training or learning).
• 6 months: Employers can receive a £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant when recruiting eligible young people, with additional support available through Restart.
• 18 months: Eligible young people are offered a guaranteed job through the Jobs Guarantee. From April 2027, eligible disabled young people will also be able to access guaranteed opportunities without waiting 18 months.

More broadly, as part of our plans to Get Britain Working, we are creating a Jobs and Careers Service to help people find secure, meaningful work, develop new skills and progress in their career. As part of the service, we have launched our digital offer ‘Work Hub’, which is available to all and includes an online AI work assistant, a CV builder and a new job search tool.