Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, has pledged to introduce a policy to prevent young people from immediately signing on to Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits without prior work experience. Under this proposal, individuals under the age of 25 with less than six months of continuous employment would be required to participate in an intensive job coaching programme instead of directly claiming Universal Credit (UC).
Speaking in an interview with the Spectator, Badenoch criticised the current Labour government as “the welfare party” and asserted that it does not represent the working classes. Under the proposed Conservative policy, young unemployed people would only be eligible to claim a new “Get to Work Allowance” after completing a six-month long “Get to Work” programme designed to support their re-entry into employment.
Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately highlighted the severity of youth unemployment, noting that the UK’s NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) rate is higher than Greece’s. She criticised Labour for creating employment obstacles through taxation and regulations, resulting in young people turning to benefits prematurely. Whately emphasised that the “Get to Work” scheme aims to disrupt this cycle by requiring participation in the programme as a condition of receiving welfare support.
READ MORE: New Mum Praises OK! Beauty Box Advent Calendar as Ideal Self-Care Choice
Badenoch also explained that individuals with a longer work history may receive benefits for a longer duration, as they are generally more motivated to seek employment. However, she added that after six months without securing a job, and without genuine effort, claimants would face financial penalties.
Addressing concerns about people claiming disability benefits, she clarified that the policy targets those who can work but choose not to, rather than the vulnerable. Badenoch stated, “There are a lot of people who do not have a mental disability but claim to have one using low-level conditions… These are conditions you can work with, and so you should be working. We’re not going after the vulnerable. It is the people who can work who aren’t working that are the target.”