Joseph Rowntree Foundation research suggests tackling joblessness root causes, not cutting benefits, is the best way to reduce the welfare bill. Polling shows voters support this longer-term approach.
A welfare 'apprenticeship penalty' is causing disadvantaged young people to abandon valuable training opportunities, with families losing up to £340 per week in benefits when their 16-year-old enters an apprenticeship. Benefit rules classify apprentices as 'independent workers', stripping parents of child benefit and universal credit elements. The Social Security Advisory Committee warns this forces families to choose between the child's long-term career and short-term financial survival, with some young people becoming NEET as a result. There are now 957,000 NEETs in the UK – the highest level in a decade.
