Thousands of young people with disabilities or long-term health conditions will be given a new route into employment under an expanded government Jobs Guarantee scheme, the
Department for Work and Pensions has announced.
The new fast-track pathway will be introduced from April 2027 and will allow eligible young people receiving health-related benefits to voluntarily take up a guaranteed job from their 13th week following a Work Capability Assessment.
Participants will receive individualised support designed to address barriers that may prevent them from entering or remaining in work. This will include mentoring as well as assistance related to mental health, finances and housing. Employers taking part will also receive support with the costs of bringing new employees into their organisations.
The government will fully fund participants' wages for up to 25 hours a week for a period of six months, providing employers with an opportunity to offer paid work while helping young people gain experience and build skills.
The expansion significantly broadens the Jobs Guarantee, which was launched earlier this year for 18-to-24-year-olds who have been out of work and claiming Universal Credit for at least 18 months.
The government says the new measure is needed in response to the growing number of young people with disabilities who are outside employment, education or training. According to an interim report by Alan Milburn published earlier this year, 45% of young people classified as NEET reported having a disability, compared with 21.1% in 2013/14.
By widening access to the Jobs Guarantee, ministers expect thousands of young disabled people to benefit, contributing to an overall ambition to help up to 90,000 young people move into employment by the end of the current parliamentary term.
The initiative forms part of a wider programme of employment reforms aimed at reducing Britain's persistent disability employment gap. The government has committed £3.5 billion to these reforms, which also include a new "right to try" guarantee. The policy is intended to allow people receiving sickness-related benefits to test their ability to work without immediately putting their existing financial support at risk.
More broadly, the government has pledged £2.5 billion over the next three years for Youth Guarantee programmes designed to help young people move towards employment, education or training.
The wider package includes payments of up to £3,000 for businesses that employ a young person who has been out of work for six months, alongside an expansion of youth apprenticeship opportunities.
The government says the overall objective is to ensure that young people have a clearer route towards either earning a living or gaining the education and skills needed to enter the workforce.
The new disability-focused Jobs Guarantee is scheduled to begin in April 2027. Photo by Phil Whitehouse, Wikimedia commons.
