Alan Milburn proposes youth allowance for under-25s in welfare overhaul
Alan Milburn's review proposes moving under-25s off sickness and disability benefits onto a youth allowance at the standard Universal Credit rate, with billions for employment support.
How it was covered
- BBC Two carried 59% of the airtime and concentrated on Labour Party management and the policy details.
- Sky News concentrated on savings, work incentives and Labour MPs' concerns.
- BBC One concentrated on the policy detail and Labour's political difficulty.
- BBC News, Channel 4 and GB News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Alan Milburn's review of welfare for young people will recommend that under-25s stop claiming the two main sickness and disability benefits. The former Labour health secretary proposes moving them onto a new youth allowance paid at the same rate as standard Universal Credit. The health element of Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment would no longer be available to this age group. Some, but far fewer than now, would qualify for a new additional cost allowance for disability. Those with the most profound disabilities, who cannot work, would receive a new benefit at a higher rate.
The report is due on Tuesday and would also put billions into employment support. BBC News reported Milburn's argument that the state should not pay people not to work and that the money should instead go to getting them into work. Milburn has said the changes would not be pain-free. BBC News reported he has said savings could take a decade. About a million young people are not in education, employment or training.
BBC Two reported that Pat McFadden, the Work and Pensions Secretary, will respond on Tuesday and that Henry Zeffman, its chief political correspondent, expected him to be very enthusiastic. Sky News reported that ministers were expected to fully accept the recommendations, according to the i. BBC News reported that Andy Burnham will decide whether to take forward the recommendations. ITV reported that the government will formally respond once the review is published.
Labour MPs are watching closely. Last year, under Keir Starmer, the government was forced to water down welfare cuts after a rebellion by Labour MPs. BBC News reported that Meg Hillier, who led the rebellion, is now more supportive because the proposal includes intensive help for young people. ITV reported a Labour backbencher saying there would be upfront costs and that getting 80% of NEETs into work would save £10bn in benefits. Jeevan Sander, a Labour MP, told BBC Two he was comfortable with a system that gets young people into work.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 4 or more of 5 channels | |||||
| Alan Milburn's report will recommend that under-25s lose access to the health element of universal credit and personal independence payment, receiving instead a youth allowance set at the standard universal credit rate. | |||||
| Reported by a few · 2–3 channels | |||||
| Alan Milburn will propose allocating billions of pounds to help people into work. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | ||
| The changes were reported to save money by reducing benefit receipt and payments and by encouraging work. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | ||
| Only on one channel | |||||
| A Labour backbencher said getting 80% of NEETs into work would save £10bn in benefits. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy strongly criticised the proposals, including on the Today programme. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Pat McFadden, the Work and Pensions Secretary, commissioned the review and was expected to respond to its report on Tuesday. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Sky News reported that the i newspaper said ministers are expected to accept Milburn's recommendations, including changes for under-25s with ADHD. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The government will formally respond to the Milburn review once it is published. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The government will publish a welfare white paper. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West led with the policy detail and the political risk for the government. Chris Mason set out the proposed youth allowance and the billions for employment support, while the later BBC News at One report focused on Andy Burnham's decision and Labour MP Meg Hillier's changed tone. The coverage stressed that the report will be published in full on Tuesday.
- “He will argue that young people under 25 will no longer be able to claim the two main sickness and disability Benefits”
- “But the state shouldn't be paying people to not work instead that that money should be focused on getting people Into work now”
- “Meg Hillier She's now sounding more supportive because this proposal has intensive help for young people otherwise stuck on benefits”
Sky News treated the story as a savings and work-incentives reform, with detailed explanations of the youth allowance, the replacement for PIP and the extra allowance to avoid a cliff edge. Its morning coverage said savings would be redirected into employment support and that the package could help Labour MPs accept the change. On The Wrap, the host also challenged the framing around ADHD and suggested the benefits bill still needed to be cut.
- “It is a cultural thing, but the benefits bill does need to be cut”
- “So in other words, these are changes within the system which would save some money.”
- “he thinks the entire system needs completely rewiring because at the moment someone could just really be consigned to a life of benefits”
BBC Two's Politics Live put Labour Party management at the centre, asking whether MPs would accept the changes after Keir Starmer's welfare rebellion. Henry Zeffman explained the youth allowance, the additional cost allowance and the higher-rate benefit for those unable to work. The programme also heard from Labour MP Jeevan Sander and prepared to speak to the disability charity Sense.
- “under-25s would no longer be able to claim the two main sickness and disability benefits”
- “It got booted out by Labour MPs.”
- “I'll be comfortable, yes, absolutely, with a system that gets young people into work”
5 News gave the proposal a single-sentence summary in a short lunchtime bulletin. It reported that out-of-work young people would be barred from the health element of Universal Credit and PIP and would receive a new youth allowance. It offered no political context, interviews or reaction.
- “out of work should be barred from claiming the health element of Universal Credit and personal independence. They would instead get a new youth allowance.”
ITV framed the report as long-awaited and warned that the changes would not be pain-free. Its lunchtime report focused on young claimants losing financial support, Andy Burnham's political difficulty and Labour backbenchers' scrutiny. It also carried a backbencher's argument that upfront costs could be justified by long-term savings of £10bn if 80% of NEETs were helped into work.
- “A long-awaited report looking at how to get young people off benefits and into work has warned measures won't be pain-free.”
- “The last time Labour tried it under Sir Keir Starmer, they were forced to water down some of their proposals.”
- “we don't want to cut the costs of government on the backs of these young people, really.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 09:23 GMT
Andrew Bowie, Shadow Energy Secretary
Mornings with Ridge and Frost · Thu 12 Nov
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.