TUC welcomes retreat over Prime Minister's 'earn or learn' pledge

Commenting on reports today (Thursday) clarifying the Prime Minister's pledge to ban benefits for under-25s, TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said:

'Having hinted yesterday that a future Conservative government would ban any young person from claiming any social security unless they were in work, education or training, it's a relief to hear that the party is now in full retreat over its 'earn or learn' pledge.

'Banning under-25s from claiming benefits, irrespective of whether there are jobs and training places available locally, would have impoverished hundreds of thousands of young people, including many with young children.

'Of course unemployed people need to take action to look for work, but benefit sanctions for those who don't play by the rules are nothing new - they have been in place for over a century.

'Young people's futures are still far from safe as the Prime Minister still wants to axe housing benefit for under-25s - a pledge he originally made last June.

'If the government really wants to tackle the UK's youth jobs crisis - which has got worse since the coalition was formed - it should ditch its failing Youth Contract and re-introduce a job guarantee for young people who have been out of work for more than six months.'

Youth unemployment is currently 960,000, an increase of 39,000 since June-August 2010.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• Plans to remove housing benefit for under-25s was announced by the Prime Minister on 25 June 2012 https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/welfare-speech
• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Decision Maker's Guide says that claimants are not eligible for Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) unless they are willing and able to take up any work. JSA claimants mustn't just be available for work - they must actively seek it too, according to the DWP guidance. www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dmgch21.pdf
• The TUC's campaign plan can be downloaded from www.tuc.org.uk/campaignplan
• All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
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