Benefit reform must not undermine opportunity
2 mins read
Thursday 12 November 2026
Ahead of the publication of the Milburn report into youth unemployment on Tuesday, press reports today suggest that Milburn will propose major changes to benefits for young disabled people. This includes proposals to scrap both the health element of Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment for under 25s and to replace these with new payments.
Derek Sinclair, senior parent adviser at Contact, said: “We will be looking very closely at these proposals when the Milburn report is published on Tuesday, particularly given the likelihood that some young disabled people may face cuts in financial support.
“Any cuts would risk undermining the very opportunities the Government says it wants to improve, potentially making it harder for disabled young people to move towards or remain in education or employment. Disabled young people need both employment opportunities and financial security. One cannot come at the expense of the other.
“These changes are being justified as necessary to tackle the high numbers of young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET). However, we know that many of the disabled young people likely to be affected are not NEET at all – but young disabled people who are already in education or part-time employment.”
What next?
Contact will look at the detail of the Milburn Review and update families on Tuesday. Contact has been campaigning against these proposals for some time and will continue to do so. Get involved.