DWP benefits cuts and the Milburn Review on youth unemployment, Digi Mart USA News (United Kingdom): The Department for Work and Pensions has been warned over “arbitrary benefit cuts” ahead of the Milburn Review, which is due to be published this week. The Trade Union Congress has said that fixing the NEET crisis, the number of young people not in education, employment or training, will require much more investment.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak has called on the Labour government to avoid “arbitrary” benefit cuts. Speaking to the Guardian, Mr Nowak said: “We can’t afford to not do this stuff, as the benefits bill will go up if young people are not supported.”
He added: “I don’t think this government is going to repeat the mistake of the previous attempt at benefit reform, where you make arbitrary cuts, [and] where you have an impact on some of the most vulnerable people without thinking about how you support people into work.”
Mr Milburn’s review will suggest a major expansion of work programmes in the UK under an “invest to save” model involving high up-front costs for the Treasury. He will argue that significant investment in employment support, not benefit cuts, is the best way to encourage almost a million young people in Britain to join the workforce and cut youth unemployment.
On Friday, Andy Burnham admitted that the cost of welfare would continue to rise even after his planned reforms. Telling Times Radio the reforms would require “investment up front”, he said that “in time, the savings will come.” The Makerfield MP argued that any additional spending would be on “investment in the support that teenagers need and the guarantees that I want to put in place for them.”
A government spokesperson said: “We are determined to turn the tide on youth unemployment which has been years in the making.” The spokesperson added: “We have already pledged £2.5bn in youth employment support, which will deliver almost 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, while engaging with business including some of Britain’s biggest retail and hospitality brands to create up to 200,000 jobs for young people.”
The spokesperson said further reform would follow the Milburn review, which will be published in the autumn.
