Welfare campaigners have urged Andy Burnham, the new Labour Party leader who succeeded Sir Keir Starmer last month, not to reduce Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits for young people. A coalition of over 40 leading charities has co-signed a letter pleading with Burnham to maintain support for young claimants as he and Chancellor John Healey prepare to deliver the Autumn Budget on 28 October.
The letter emphasises the importance of tackling the increasing number of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEETs) through fair and sustainable measures. It states: “We welcome your commitment to addressing this issue and appreciate your recognition that crude cuts to benefit levels are not the solution to reducing social security spending.”
Ann Davies MP, Plaid Cymru’s DWP spokesperson, criticised a Westminster proposal from last year under Sir Keir Starmer that suggested delaying access to the health element of Universal Credit (UC) until claimants reach the age of 22. She described such restrictions as unfair and discriminatory, and reiterated Plaid Cymru’s long-standing call for the welfare system to be devolved to Wales to better address specific local challenges.
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Signatories to the letter, which include Save the Children and Barnardo’s, highlighted evidence showing that cutting benefits worsens health outcomes and deepens poverty. Lucy Schonegevel of Action for Children stressed that improving prospects for disabled young people requires early intervention, tailored support, and meaningful job and volunteering opportunities-not sanctions or benefit cuts.
James Taylor from Scope added: “Any cuts to the health element of Universal Credit will only push more young disabled people into poverty, not into employment.”
The coalition’s message is clear: welfare support for young people must be protected to ensure better social and economic outcomes, avoiding the mistakes linked to previous policies under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership.