The former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn will examine the role of mental health issues and disability in youth unemployment as part of a broader review into rising inactivity among Britain’s 16-to-24-year-olds. Milburn’s forthcoming findings, due to be published in the summer, aim to identify how to prevent young people from becoming and remaining Neets—Not in Education, Employment, or Training.
The government initiated the review shortly after publishing another assessment led by former John Lewis boss Charlie Mayfield. That analysis highlighted an “economic inactivity crisis” affecting young adults aged 16 to 34, with a notable rise in long-term sickness-related inactivity tied to mental health conditions.
Milburn’s mandate includes evaluating how health conditions, including mental health and disabilities, intersect with employment barriers. The Department for Work and Pensions stated that the review will offer practical recommendations to help young people access work, training, or education while ensuring they receive support to thrive rather than being sidelined.
Commentators have long described the youth unemployment landscape as a persistent challenge across successive governments. Milburn has indicated he will produce far-reaching recommendations to enhance opportunities for young people to learn and earn, with a strong emphasis on health and welfare integration.
The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is expected to announce potential funding in this month’s budget for a “youth guarantee” intended to provide guaranteed paid work to eligible young people who have been on universal credit for 18 months without earnings or learning. Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden framed the crisis as one of opportunity, stressing the need for urgent action to prevent a lost generation.
Milburn’s review, supported by the Department for Work and Pensions, will complement other ongoing inquiries, including the Timms review, which is examining disability-related supports such as personal independence payments for those with physical and mental disabilities. Milburn, who served as health secretary from 1999 to 2003, was appointed last year as the lead non-executive director of the Department of Health and Social Care and has pledged to be uncompromising in exposing failures across employment support, education, and health services.
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