Every eligible 18 to 24 year old in Great Britain claiming Universal Credit and looking for work will be guaranteed a fully-funded, six-month job matched to their skills from the end of November 2026 as the Government drives forward fundamental change in the way it supports young people.
- Guaranteed jobs for young people on Universal Credit will be rolled out across all areas of Great Britain, after successful trial, to support over 90,000 young people furthest from work into a role.
- From April 2027, those who are eligible will also be supported into work sooner, after 12 months rather than 18, as part of major shakeup in support for young people.
- Expansion comes ahead of Alan Milburn’s landmark review into the causes of rising youth inactivity, due to report next week.
The nationwide expansion of the scheme follows a successful rollout in six areas with some of the highest levels of youth unemployment.
Work is one of the most important experiences a young person can have, and hundreds of young people have already moved into employment through the Jobs Guarantee, gaining valuable skills and experience.
The Jobs Guarantee scheme will now be available across all areas of England, Scotland and Wales, extending guaranteed opportunities to young people furthest from the labour market.
Alongside roll out across Great Britain, eligibility for the scheme will be widened to enable young people who are claiming Universal Credit and looking for work to access the scheme after 12 months, rather than 18. This will mean that young people will be guaranteed a job sooner, tackling the harm done by long periods of unemployment.
The scheme will help more than 90,000 young people into work by March 2029. Earlier this year the Work and Pensions Secretary commissioned Alan Milburn to investigate the causes of high numbers of young people neither earning nor learning, with the final report expected this week.
The Prime Minister has underlined his ambition to fundamentally reshape how young people are supported to grow up and get on in life, as the Government prepares to respond to the Milburn Review.
The report is expected to make clear that the answer to the economic and moral failure of almost one million young people being out of education, employment or training is not crude cuts to support, but getting more young people into work, with the opportunities, support and expectations to make that possible.
The government’s response will set out a new settlement based on earlier intervention, real opportunities in education, training and work, and a clear expectation that young people take them up wherever they can.
That includes rewiring services around young people too by bringing employment, skills, health and wider support together locally rather than expecting them to navigate a fragmented system. The Rewiring the State Delivery Plan will set out how the Government will use devolution to drive that change, putting more power in the hands of local leaders to join up services around the needs of young people and deliver the system reform called for by Alan Milburn.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden:
The longer someone is out of work, the harder it is to get back in, and no young person should be left waiting on a scrapheap for an opportunity.
That is why we are expanding our guaranteed jobs scheme across Great Britain and bringing it forward, so that help arrives when it matters most.
Employers are crying out for talent, and there is a generation of talent ready to be unleashed. We are backing them with the support they need to build a fulfilling future.
The Government has warned that too many young people have been written off by a system that leaves them disconnected from work and opportunity, contributing to long-term poverty, poorer health outcomes and lower life chances. The expansion of the Jobs Guarantee forms part of the government’s wider ambition to build a system with work and participation at its heart, ensuring every young person has a route into earning or learning.
Under the scheme, the government fully funds up to 25 hours of paid work a week for 6 months at the relevant minimum wage.
Roles are matched to each person’s skills, and young people get tailored pre-employment and in-work support to tackle barriers to work, from building confidence to learning skills on the job.
More than 400 employers have already backed the scheme, with household names such as Lidl, Leonardo Hotels and Boots supporting people into work.
Local authorities and mayors know their areas best, so they have helped select the delivery partners. They will now work closely with them to help young people into work.
In September 2026 it was announced that the scheme would be extended to offer those receiving the health element of Universal Credit a guaranteed job on a voluntary basis. The change, which comes into effect from April 2027, reflects the Government’s commitment to ensure young people with a health condition or disability receive the support they need to participate, rather than an assumption that they cannot.
Stephanie Rogers, Chief People Officer at Lidl GB:
Young people have huge ambition to offer, but too often struggle to find the right door to open – which is why initiatives such as the Youth Guarantee Scheme are so important.
At Lidl GB, young people are a key part of our workforce and we believe in giving our colleagues a fair chance to build meaningful careers. We have already welcomed our first colleagues through the scheme, with plans already to expand recruitment further.
Through this scheme, we are not just offering a placement, but industry-leading training and a supportive environment where young people develop transferable skills to secure their future. Alongside our fast-track interview pathways for the long-term unemployed and our apprenticeship programmes, we’re proud to offer a strong launching pad into stable, long-term careers in retail.
A young person on the Jobs Guarantee:
Taking part in the Jobs Guarantee scheme has had a really positive impact on my confidence with finding and being in work.
Before starting my placement at Kenny Waste, being out of work made me feel uncertain about my abilities in settling into a workplace and being able to handle the job role after being out of one for so long.
Working in a supportive team and having reassurance from my brilliant co-workers helped me overcome this. I now feel much more confident in my abilities to handle the workload and progress more in the workplace.
Even though I have only been in the role for 6 weeks, I feel like it was the perfect placement for me and have gained so much from it already.
I have the Jobs Guarantee scheme to thank for this, as the support I had there was amazing and they really do find the right role for each person.
A guaranteed job under the government’s Youth Guarantee is the final step in a package of support for young people on Universal Credit who are looking for work. From day one, young people are supported by their Work Coach, can attend Youth Guarantee Jobs Fairs around the country and can access mental health, housing and CV advice through Youth Hubs. After six months, those who have not found work can benefit from roles which are funded through a £3,000 employer hiring payment. After 12 months eligible young people who still have not found work become eligible for a guaranteed job.
The Jobs Guarantee is part of the government’s wider employment support for young people, backed by £2.5 billion of investment to support almost one million young people and create 500,000 opportunities.
- The Jobs Guarantee is for 18 to 24 year olds who are claiming Universal Credit and looking for work.
- Currently, young people who have been on Universal Credit and out of work for 18 months are referred by their work coach to a local delivery partner. From April 2027, this will reduce to 12 months, enabling young people to access the Jobs Guarantee earlier. The partner gets to know them and their skills, then matches them with a job that suits them. Before they start, they get tailored pre-employment support to tackle barriers to work. This could include building confidence, interview preparation and help with CVs. Once in the job, they carry on getting support while they learn skills on the job. The government fully funds up to 25 hours of paid work a week for 6 months, at the relevant minimum wage.
- From April 2027, eligible young people receiving the health element of Universal Credit can take part on a voluntary basis.
- From April 2027 eligibility for the scheme will be widened to enable young people who are claiming Universal Credit and looking for work to access the Jobs Guarantee scheme after 12 months.
- Therefore, from April 2027, if a young person has been on Universal Credit and out of work for 12 months, their work coach will refer them to a local delivery partner. The partner will match them with a job that suits their skills and give them tailored support before and during the job, from building confidence to learning skills on the job. The government fully funds up to 25 hours of paid work a week for 6 months, at the relevant minimum wage. Young people can speak to their Work Coach to find out if they are eligible.
- Employers who want to offer Jobs Guarantee roles can find out more at Contact Employer Services
- The scheme was previously available in Birmingham and Solihull, the East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire and Essex, Central and East Scotland, and South East and South West Wales.
PAYadvice.UK 15/11/2026