The Conservatives are proposing a major shake-up of welfare for unemployed under-25s, with young people facing the loss of financial support if they refuse to take part in a new mandatory work programme.

The plan has been branded “tough love” by Kemi Badenoch’s party, but charities and campaigners warn it risks pushing vulnerable young people deeper into poverty while failing to tackle the barriers keeping them out of work.

Young claimants would face a new six-month test

Under the proposals, unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds who are able to work would have to join a new Get to Work scheme to receive support.

They would attend job centres regularly and take part in work experience, training or community work. After six months, those still unemployed would see their payments reduced to a Subsistence Allowance worth 70% of their previous claim.

Refusal could mean losing welfare altogether

The Conservatives say young people who can work should not be able to claim welfare indefinitely without actively trying to find employment.

Badenoch has argued the existing system is unfair to people who work, saying the Government must “force” change. Her party says the policy is aimed at breaking a cycle in which young people move directly from school into benefits.

Charities warn the punishment could backfire

Amnesty International UK said the approach was “oblivious” to the realities of the jobs market and warned that punitive sanctions do not help young people into work.

Trussell and the Child Poverty Action Group also argued that cutting support could deepen hardship, while the Centre for Young Lives called for a broader package of employment, education and training measures rather than a single intervention.

Disabled young people face another barrier

The pressure is particularly acute for young people with complex disabilities. A Sense survey found 66% said jobcentres did not provide the support they needed, while 72% said there were too few jobs meeting their needs.

The Conservatives are pitching the policy as a route from welfare into work. Critics argue the central question is whether removing financial support will create employment — or simply make poverty the price of being unable to find it.

Tory plan to axe under 25s' benefits 'oblivious' to the harsh poverty young people face

WTF are these "complex disabilities" that apparently keep some of the young and the feckless hooked on benefits?

Kemi Badenoch has opened a two-front political fight with Labour and Reform, accusing Andy Burnham of pursuing a “destructive socialist agenda” while ruling out any Conservative pact with Nigel Farage.

Ahead of the Conservative conference in Birmingham, Badenoch said the Tories were preparing for an early election and presented her party as the alternative to Labour. She also attacked Burnham’s plans for electoral reform and his reopening of the debate over Britain’s relationship with the EU.

Badenoch targets Burnham’s plans for power

Badenoch accused Burnham of being obsessed with “Westminster bubble politics” and said his plans to move towards proportional representation were an attempt to “lock in the left”.

Burnham has announced a national commission on electoral reform and said Labour would contest the next election with a manifesto commitment to change the voting system.

The EU becomes another dividing line

Badenoch also rejected the idea that Britain should move towards rejoining the EU, a customs union or the Single Market.

She said closer cooperation with Brussels should be pursued where it served the national interest, but argued that rejoining would not solve Britain’s domestic problems. She described Burnham’s renewed EU debate as a distraction from the economy, jobs and other domestic pressures.

Then she turned fire on Reform

Badenoch gave a “cast-iron guarantee” that there would be no Conservative-Reform pact at the next election, saying the parties were fundamentally different.

She said Conservatives who backed a deal risked alienating voters who would otherwise support the party. The stance sets up a direct contest for voters on the right while Badenoch insists the Tories must rebuild their own support rather than rely on an accommodation with Farage.

The election battle is already taking shape

Badenoch said she believed Burnham was preparing for an early election and that she was doing the same. Her intervention comes as Labour, Conservatives and Reform position themselves for a contest in which electoral reform, welfare, Brexit and the economy are becoming increasingly important dividing lines.

For the Conservatives, the challenge is to establish a distinct position on both sides: opposing Burnham’s Labour while refusing to share a platform with Reform.

Badenoch: Tories will turn tide on Burnham’s 'destructive socialist agenda'

5 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

WTF are these "complex disabilities" that apparently keep some of the young and the feckless hooked on benefits?

I guess what we used to call handicaps ,e.g. blind, disabled, etc.

According to research from disability charities like Sense and Mencap, an overwhelming 82% of people with complex disabilities are unemployed, despite the vast majority wanting to work.

• Incompatible Job Platforms: Online application systems and job portals are frequently incompatible with assistive technologies like screen readers.

• Rigid Assessment Formats: Standardised interview tests and formats rarely accommodate complex needs, filtering out capable candidates before they can demonstrate their skills.

• Jobcentre Deficiencies: Government employment services are vastly under-equipped. A Sense study found that not a single computer at Jobcentres had specialist assistive technology, meaning 50% of jobseekers lacked the basic equipment required to search for work.

what are the problems finding a job for young people with complex disabilities? - Google Search

14 minutes ago, bannork said:

I guess what we used to call handicaps ,e.g. blind, disabled, etc.

According to research from disability charities like Sense and Mencap, an overwhelming 82% of people with complex disabilities are unemployed, despite the vast majority wanting to work.

• Incompatible Job Platforms: Online application systems and job portals are frequently incompatible with assistive technologies like screen readers.

• Rigid Assessment Formats: Standardised interview tests and formats rarely accommodate complex needs, filtering out capable candidates before they can demonstrate their skills.

• Jobcentre Deficiencies: Government employment services are vastly under-equipped. A Sense study found that not a single computer at Jobcentres had specialist assistive technology, meaning 50% of jobseekers lacked the basic equipment required to search for work.

what are the problems finding a job for young people with complex disabilities? - Google Search

Thanks. What previous generations called "disabled" before that word became politically incorrect. I was thinking it was related to the many phobias , syndromes and new-found "isms" that appear to disproportionately afflict a lot the NEET generation and their parent(s).