- Former health secretary Alan Milburn has proposed a major overhaul of the welfare system that would remove under-25s from main sickness and disability benefits.
- Under the plans, young people would instead receive a youth allowance or an additional cost allowance for disability costs, alongside expanded employment coaching.
- Milburn acknowledged the proposals would not be pain-free and could leave some claimants with less financial support initially, but insisted it prioritises long-term prospects.
- The government aims to introduce welfare reforms in 2027 to support the roughly one million young people currently not in education, employment or training.
- Disability charity Sense welcomed efforts to help young people into work but warned that some disabled youth could lose out without guaranteed specialist support.
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