Last week, a government adviser published a report looking into why there is a rising number of young people who aren’t currently in education, employment or training.

Evan from our policy team looks at what this means for disabled people with complex needs and what we think needs to happen next.

What is the Milburn Review?

You might have seen lots of stories in the news last week about young people who are out of work. This is because the government has published a major report on youth unemployment.

Almost a million people aged 18 to 24 aren’t currently in education, employment or training. Last year, the government asked former Cabinet Minister Alan Milburn to explore what could be done about it.

This first report from the Milburn Review sets out why so many young people are out of work or training. It will be followed by a final report in September, which will recommend ways to help more young people into employment.

What did the report get right?

Too often, debates around youth unemployment fail to properly recognise the barriers that make it harder for disabled people to find work.

We were glad to see that the Milburn Review did not fall into this trap.

The report could have blamed disabled people for the barriers they face. It didn’t. Instead, it paints a picture of a system that is stacked against young disabled people, especially young disabled people with complex needs.

Crucially, it acknowledged that not every disabled person can work.

From a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system that lets disabled pupils down to a welfare system that fails to provide specialist employment support, the report is clear that young disabled people are being denied the opportunities they deserve and failed by the systems around them.

What are we concerned about?

While there were lots of positives in the report, we are concerned about how it talks about welfare, especially disability benefits.

Universal Credit is a lifeline for many disabled people with complex needs. That is true whether someone is actively looking for work or whether employment is not a realistic outcome for them.

Given that not every disabled person can enter paid work, we need to recognise that someone’s worth isn’t tied to their ability to enter employment. It is important that the welfare system supports disabled people to take part in society in a way that works for them.

Some disabled people receive extra Universal Credit because they are disabled. This is called the health element, or Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity.

We are worried that the final report might recommend making young people wait until they are 22 before they can claim the health element. That will not tackle the barriers disabled people face. It will just make people poorer.

What comes next?

It’s clear from Alan Milburn’s first report that he has listened to the experiences of disabled people we have shared with him so far.

As he prepares to publish his final recommendations in September, it’s vital that he hears from as many disabled people as possible. If you are a young disabled person or care for a young disabled person who has struggled to get into work, reach out and tell us about your experience.

By working together like this, we can help make sure that his recommendations truly tackle the barriers disabled people with complex needs face.

Because it is the system that needs to change, not disabled people.

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