Overview

• Rachel Reeves will set out the scheme at Labour’s Liverpool conference, billing it as a route to abolish long‑term youth unemployment.
• Eligible 18–21‑year‑olds on Universal Credit for 18 months will be offered college places, apprenticeships, one‑to‑one job support or a paid work placement.
• Young people who reject an offer without a reasonable excuse could face benefit sanctions up to losing payments, with rules for sickness claimants still to be clarified.
• The government plans to subsidise placements and is expected to seek roles from large retailers, with funding details to be outlined in November after earlier pilots with local authorities.
• The Federation of Small Businesses welcomed the focus on effective support, while Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride attacked the plan as undermined by last year’s employer National Insurance rise; around one in eight 16–24‑year‑olds are currently NEET.