Former health secretary Alan Milburn will conduct an independent investigation to tackle rising youth inactivity, chancellor Rachel Reeves announced as part of her Budget 2025 speech.
However, there was no further action or funding for the Keep Britain Working Review led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, which made a series of recommendations earlier this month to help reduce the occurrences and longevity of workplace sickness and absence.
At the time the government committed to creating a certified workplace health standard and partnered with 60 employers including insurers and healthcare providers to start the initiative.
Some of the review’s longer-term recommendations included potential tax break for workplace health services but these were not addressed in the Budget.
Milburn review launched
The latest move came as part of the government’s aims to “stop people being written off due to sickness”.
As part of the Budget, the government said it would be fixing the failings of the welfare system to stop people being written off due to sickness and to lift 450,000 children out of poverty
“The welfare system is not working as it should, forcing too many sick people out of work and on to benefits. Total spending on welfare grew by nearly a percentage point, as a share of GDP, over the last Parliament,” it said.
Announcing the investigation, HM Treasury said: “The government is commissioning Alan Milburn to conduct an independent report on young people, health and work.
“This will focus on preventing young people from becoming trapped out of work, education or training, helping to cut the long-term costs of youth inactivity, and make the social security system more sustainable.”
In addition, a further £1.5bn over the current five-year spending review period will be made available for investment in employment and skills support.
This will fund £820m for the Youth Guarantee and £725m for the Growth and Skills Levy, which Treasury said would give young people “access to high-quality training opportunities and the support they need to earn or learn”.