Milburn warns of shameful' failings trapping young people on benefits

The Independent describes its reporting focus on major developing issues and emphasizes fact-checking over messaging. It states that donations fund journalists and that reporting and analysis remain accessible without paywalls. A Government review led by former health secretary Alan Milburn warns that the state has failed young people by moving them into benefits. The review finds welfare spending for young people is 25 times higher than spending on measures to get them into jobs. Milburn argues welfare reform is essential and urges Labour MPs to remember the party of work. He also criticizes social media’s impact on young people’s anxiety and brain rewiring, and says failures extend beyond welfare to schools, skills, and health systems.

"Former health secretary Alan Milburn said his review found the state was spending 25 times more on welfare for young people than on measures to get them into jobs. He said a programme of welfare reform was essential and urged Labour MPs who opposed Sir Keir Starmer's previous attempt to change the system to remember they were the party of work. Mr Milburn also hit out at the impact of social media on young people's lives which had fuelled anxiety and rewired their brains."

"He told BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that what is shameful is that as we've uncovered in the course of this review, for every 25 that we spend keeping young people on benefits, we spend only 1 helping them get into work through employment support. Mr Milburn said: This is a failure of the welfare system, but it's a failure I'm sorry of the school system, the skills system, the health system."

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