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AIBU?

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Original poster

Nearly 1m young people out of work

708 replies

Starfeesh · 26/02/2026 13:21

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62gzl2yl24o

AIBU to be concerned that a life on benefits seems to be a viable option, and glad Labour are bringing in compulsory work placements?

A young man looks at his phone while sitting at a computer in his home. He looks weary.

Young people out of work, training and education edges closer to one million

People at the start of their careers are particularly affected by the UK's weak job market.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62gzl2yl24o

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Gingerbeersallround · 27/02/2026 21:26

Why not just have one payment to cover everything and cut the admin.

XenoBitch · 27/02/2026 21:28

Gingerbeersallround · 27/02/2026 21:26

Why not just have one payment to cover everything and cut the admin.

There is. That is literally what UC is. It is made up of different elements though, but all delivered by the same place. Before UC, it was all different departments.

Gingerbeersallround · 27/02/2026 21:29

A UBI payment to cover everything. Same for everyone.

XenoBitch · 27/02/2026 21:30

Gingerbeersallround · 27/02/2026 21:29

A UBI payment to cover everything. Same for everyone.

That would be impossible as rents vary a lot between areas.

meatbaseddessert · 27/02/2026 21:43

This just demonstrates that we don’t need any more humans. Disincentivise having children. We don’t need them

123stay · 27/02/2026 21:51

YiddlySquat · 27/02/2026 21:16

I hate to say it but I think a lot of it is down to many young people being lazy workers

We stopped a graduate scheme at my work after a series of grads who caused more bother than they did benefit.

this included:

  • the mum of a 23yo calling up to chastise me because I gave feedback on the grad’s first attempt at the newsletter. It was a great attempt for a first time but I said a few things like “make this bit snappier” and “Can this have more detail please”. Apparently I was criticising her.
  • mental health days, which weren’t part of organisation policy, they’d just call up saying they were taking one
  • getting huffy at being asked to set up a meeting room. They don’t get that they can’t just do all the exciting jobs, that everyone has to do menial work when they start and a more senior person shouldn’t have to do it
  • constant banging on about boundaries, whilst giving no shits about how “asserting their boundaries” quite often meant impinging on the boundaries of others

the pendulum has swung too far the other way and workplaces are suffering.

So why didn’t you try hiring a mature graduate? There are thousands of people graduating in their 20s, 30s and 40s who would love to have a career change but aren’t being given a chance. Most of us have been doing minimum wage jobs and wouldn’t expect a high starting salary.

Allisnotlost1 · 27/02/2026 22:14

cathome64 · 27/02/2026 19:23

No one I know on benefits gets only £400 a month. Some rare unicorn somewhere may do but certainly not the majority.

Edited
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A single person, aged over 25, with no children is entitled to UC of 400.14 per month. About 45% of claimants are single with no children, but breakdown by age is harder to find. So they’re not unicorns by any means.

BackinRed101 · 27/02/2026 22:15

meatbaseddessert · 27/02/2026 21:43

This just demonstrates that we don’t need any more humans. Disincentivise having children. We don’t need them

thats the thing from modern tech and a only profit driven society and globalisation we dont need the numbers of people we have

Allisnotlost1 · 27/02/2026 22:18

AlcoholicAntibiotic · 27/02/2026 20:42

But if it wasn’t being paid by benefits the claimant would have to find rent from their own resources

Show quote history

Which they would have to if they owned their own house. It’s a bit weird that we have benefit payments to pay landlords but if you own your own place but find yourself in a tricky position you’re out on your ear.

BackinRed101 · 27/02/2026 22:18

YiddlySquat · 27/02/2026 21:16

I hate to say it but I think a lot of it is down to many young people being lazy workers

We stopped a graduate scheme at my work after a series of grads who caused more bother than they did benefit.

this included:

  • the mum of a 23yo calling up to chastise me because I gave feedback on the grad’s first attempt at the newsletter. It was a great attempt for a first time but I said a few things like “make this bit snappier” and “Can this have more detail please”. Apparently I was criticising her.
  • mental health days, which weren’t part of organisation policy, they’d just call up saying they were taking one
  • getting huffy at being asked to set up a meeting room. They don’t get that they can’t just do all the exciting jobs, that everyone has to do menial work when they start and a more senior person shouldn’t have to do it
  • constant banging on about boundaries, whilst giving no shits about how “asserting their boundaries” quite often meant impinging on the boundaries of others

the pendulum has swung too far the other way and workplaces are suffering.

id say the issue was with the hiring team that hired these people

Gingerbeersallround · 27/02/2026 22:42

Allisnotlost1 · 27/02/2026 22:18

Which they would have to if they owned their own house. It’s a bit weird that we have benefit payments to pay landlords but if you own your own place but find yourself in a tricky position you’re out on your ear.

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Homeowners are stigmatised. I guess it is jealousy. So when they lose their job or business they are quite happy to see them lose their home,

Allisnotlost1 · 27/02/2026 22:51

Gingerbeersallround · 27/02/2026 22:42

Homeowners are stigmatised. I guess it is jealousy. So when they lose their job or business they are quite happy to see them lose their home,

Show quote history

I doubt the DWP are jealous of homeowners. I think it’s more likely a hangover from a time that assumed people who needed help with housing costs are all in social housing.

XenoBitch · 27/02/2026 23:33

Allisnotlost1 · 27/02/2026 22:14

A single person, aged over 25, with no children is entitled to UC of 400.14 per month. About 45% of claimants are single with no children, but breakdown by age is harder to find. So they’re not unicorns by any means.

Show quote history

I think they meant people with no rent costs. But I do know people on just the standard UC with no rent costs. One is in his 40s and lost his house (you only get very limited help with mortgages on UC), and has had to move in with his pensioner mum.

XenoBitch · 27/02/2026 23:34

Allisnotlost1 · 27/02/2026 22:18

Which they would have to if they owned their own house. It’s a bit weird that we have benefit payments to pay landlords but if you own your own place but find yourself in a tricky position you’re out on your ear.

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Which is basically a good argument for more social housing.

Pickledonion1999 · 28/02/2026 12:42

Autumngirl5 · 26/02/2026 16:47

A family member of mine is almost 24 and has never worked. His girlfriend who has a child has also never worked. They both live on benefits and it’s hard to understand why they can collect benefits every year and no inventive to have a job. They are both healthy and well.

They must have work searching commitments. One of them may not be asked to look for work if they've go a child under 2 but the other would need to be job searching for 35 hours a week unless they have health issues.

TheLudditesWereRight · 28/02/2026 12:49

Another reason to say fuck AI for cutting out a whole swathe of entry level jobs

Autumngirl5 · 28/02/2026 13:14

Pickledonion1999 · 28/02/2026 12:42

They must have work searching commitments. One of them may not be asked to look for work if they've go a child under 2 but the other would need to be job searching for 35 hours a week unless they have health issues.

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Neither have health issues and the child is over 3 years old. You can always say you are looking for a job. It doesn’t mean you really are. It is not right … all my children work long hours and they just get handed everything and can sit at home all day playing computer games. The system has to change.

Gingerbeersallround · 28/02/2026 13:17

Autumngirl5 · 28/02/2026 13:14

Neither have health issues and the child is over 3 years old. You can always say you are looking for a job. It doesn’t mean you really are. It is not right … all my children work long hours and they just get handed everything and can sit at home all day playing computer games. The system has to change.

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Perfect example of why benefits should only be paid for a limited period of time. They should not be a lifestyle choice.

Tikitaka20 · 28/02/2026 14:52

AlcoholicAntibiotic · 26/02/2026 14:00

When schools were manageable size, a school careers manager could easily support 60 school leavers and give genuine practical support.

When was that? From what I hear careers advice is awful now, it was awful in the 1990s when I was at secondary school, in the 1980s when my cousin was at secondary school and in the 1960s when my parents were. Perhaps there were a few years in the 1970s when it was half decent?

I agree with this.

It also wasn’t good in the 2000s in my secondary school. We had a teacher who divided their time between teaching science and giving us careers support. I didn’t get any specific or practical advice from her - and nor did my sibling who also went to that school.

That secondary school was objectively a good school (medium class sizes, generally good behaviour from kids and teachers who mostly taught their subjects well, supported and believed in us and wanted us to do well). The sixth form I went to afterwards was even better, using this same criteria, and I can’t remember getting any careers support there at all.

I got more helpful careers advice from my uni careers service, which I still find relevant today.

OonaStubbs · 28/02/2026 15:06

Parents need to stop catering to their child's every whim and start concentrate on making them employable.

BIossomtoes · 28/02/2026 15:29

OonaStubbs · 28/02/2026 15:06

Parents need to stop catering to their child's every whim and start concentrate on making them employable.

Most people don’t have children to create units in a workforce. That’s incredibly dystopian.

Pluto46 · 28/02/2026 15:37

BIossomtoes · 28/02/2026 15:29

Most people don’t have children to create units in a workforce. That’s incredibly dystopian.

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There is a common ground however - teachers have been forced to toe an incredibly PC line...employers (at least those in the private sector), less so

igelkott2026 · 28/02/2026 15:38

OonaStubbs · 28/02/2026 15:06

Parents need to stop catering to their child's every whim and start concentrate on making them employable.

How do you do that exactly? If you've supported your child to do well academically, facilitated hobbies and part-time jobs (eg by giving them lifts to shifts before they could drive) and supported them at university and they still can't get a job what do you suggest then?

Kids do well (or not) in spite of their "parenting", not because of it. Something a large number of MNers would do well to remember.

igelkott2026 · 28/02/2026 15:41

meatbaseddessert · 27/02/2026 21:43

This just demonstrates that we don’t need any more humans. Disincentivise having children. We don’t need them

I agree. But then you just get people saying but what about pensions and wiping our bottoms when we are old?

What about them?

Gingerbeersallround · 28/02/2026 15:46

igelkott2026 · 28/02/2026 15:38

How do you do that exactly? If you've supported your child to do well academically, facilitated hobbies and part-time jobs (eg by giving them lifts to shifts before they could drive) and supported them at university and they still can't get a job what do you suggest then?

Kids do well (or not) in spite of their "parenting", not because of it. Something a large number of MNers would do well to remember.

Show quote history

Make it clear that they need to fund themselves once they are an adult.