Milburn review to propose subsidised flexible jobs for disabled young people

Alan Milburn’s review of youth employment will recommend that the UK government create and subsidise paid roles for disabled and chronically ill people aged 16 to 24, according to the Guardian. Due this month, it will propose a Danish-style scheme combining hours tailored to participants’ capacities with government wage top-ups, alongside intensive skills support.

Other recommendations include dividing existing roles into smaller jobs, expanding supported internships and coaching, and encouraging large employers to adopt voluntary hiring targets. Milburn has suggested redirecting some spending on young people’s disability benefits towards employment support. The Guardian reports that this could draw opposition from campaigners and Labour MPs concerned about poverty; the proposals are not established government policy.

The source reports that around one million young people are outside education, employment or training, with 45% disabled or in ill health. Disabled young people are three times as likely to fall into this group as their non-disabled peers, highlighting the scale of the employment gap the review seeks to address.