Overview
- Former health secretary Alan Milburn will lead an independent probe into why more 16–24-year-olds are falling out of work or education, with a specific focus on mental health and disability.
- Official data show nearly one in eight young people—about one million—are NEET, and more than a quarter now cite long-term sickness or disability as a barrier.
- Government figures indicate the number of young people on UC health and Employment Support Allowance has risen by over 50% in five years, with around 80% citing mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions.
- The government has published terms of reference, with interim findings due in spring 2026 and a final report set for summer 2026.
- The exercise will complement Sir Stephen Timms’s review of disability benefits, exclude SEND, and inform measures such as Youth Guarantee pilots, expanded youth hubs and skills reforms, following a reported £5bn fiscal gap after a PIP U-turn.