30% benefit cut for under-25s: who the Tory work rules would hit

The Conservatives say young people aged 18 to 24 who claim Universal Credit without a solid work record would be moved onto a new "Get to Work" scheme. It would require them to attend every day, and if they are still out of work after six months their payments would be cut by 30%. The party calls it "tough love". Critics say it piles more pressure on people who already struggle to cover the basics.

The rules would apply to claimants aged 18 to 24 who are judged fit to work but have never held a job for six months in a row at 16 hours a week or more. Instead of Universal Credit, they would get a "Get to Work Allowance". According to the party, it would be paid at the same rate but with far more strings attached.

Young people on the scheme would have to turn up every day at a job centre, on a work experience placement or on a work readiness course. Each would be given a manager and would have to attend job search workshops and interview preparation sessions. The programme would last six months, or less if the young person found work sooner.

Not everyone would be covered. The Conservatives say young people who have already worked for six months, those with health issues and those with caring responsibilities would be exempt. The party also says it would look at whether parents' earnings and savings should count towards their children's benefits. It says young people without family support, including those who are estranged from their families, would keep a safety net.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately said the plan was meant to "show some tough love" and bring down the number of young people not in education, employment or training, known as Neets. "Too many young people are leaving school and signing straight onto benefits," she said, calling it a waste of their potential and "a disaster for our economy". The party puts the number of Neets aged 16 to 24 at almost one million.

The anti-poverty charity Trussell has warned that people on Universal Credit already cannot afford basic essentials, and that this makes it harder for them to find and keep a job. Under the current rules, claimants already sign a "claimant commitment" to look for and prepare for work. The Tories say their version would be stricter.

Labour is going after the same issue. At the party's conference this week, Chancellor John Healey said the best thing to offer a young person was "a first job with training and a wage", not a benefit payment. He called cutting welfare spending a priority and announced that every mayor in England would have a Local Apprenticeships Service from March 2027. The Department for Work and Pensions also said small and medium-sized firms that hire a young apprentice would get £2,000.

The Tory plan was announced on Thursday, ahead of the party's conference this weekend. A major report on the problem by former minister Alan Milburn is due shortly. This is an opposition pledge, so nothing changes for claimants today.

For families, the message is clear. Both main parties now want young people off benefits and into work. What matters at the kitchen table is whether the jobs and training actually exist, because a 30% cut would hit the household budget either way.