A government report commissioned by Labour will warn of a "catastrophic systems failure" in tackling soaring youth unemployment, urging a "system reset" and overhaul of health and disability benefits. Alan Milburn, leading the review, criticized the lack of a cohesive strategy and called for a participation-first approach.
The Tony Blair Institute has urged the UK government to introduce an 'emergency handbrake' to reduce the number of people receiving health and disability benefits. The think tank proposes classifying conditions like mild depression, ADHD, anxiety, and lower back pain as 'non-work limiting', making claimants ineligible for cash benefits. With 1,000 people daily becoming eligible and spending forecast to reach £78.1bn by 2029-30, the TBI argues these changes could reduce long-term dependency. The proposals have been criticized by disability charity Scope as 'deeply unhelpful and ill-informed'.
