Six reports published by the Department for Work and Pensions provide a detailed look at why many young people, particularly those with disabilities or health conditions, are not in employment, education or training.
The findings challenge the idea that young disabled people receiving out-of-work benefits are simply unwilling to work. Instead, the research highlights health conditions, limited workplace adjustments, mental health difficulties, disrupted education and problems accessing support as significant barriers.
One of the reports examined more than 400 young people who were not in employment, education or training, commonly referred to as NEET. The research found that most young disabled people with high support needs still expected to move into work, education or training eventually.
Barriers
Health was identified as a major obstacle among the young people surveyed.
Overall, 84% of respondents said they wanted to be in employment, education or training. However, nearly a quarter, or 23%, of those whose daily activities were limited a lot by a disability or health condition said they did not expect ever to move into work, education or training.
The responses pointed to several practical difficulties. These included finding suitable jobs, obtaining workplace adjustments, managing mental health conditions and navigating support systems.
Some respondents said employment felt difficult to achieve without more personalised assistance and a better understanding of their circumstances from employers.
Support
Mental health featured prominently in the research.
Young people described how poor mental health affected confidence, motivation and their ability to attend interviews. Some also reported burnout and reduced confidence after experiencing repeated rejection.
The report also highlighted difficulties faced by people managing severe mental health conditions while trying to access appropriate services.
Respondents said these challenges could affect not only their ability to enter employment but also their ability to remain in work once they had found a job.
Many called for more personalised support, better work experience, greater access to entry-level opportunities and improved health and wellbeing services.
Healthcare
Another DWP report was based on responses from more than 1,000 healthcare professionals.
Those surveyed reported seeing more diagnoses involving mental health conditions and neurodivergence among young people over the previous five years.
Around 51% of healthcare professionals surveyed said they considered mental health one of the three main barriers to employment, education or training for young people.
Some professionals also reported seeing more young people with complex health conditions and multiple co-existing conditions.
The research linked some difficulties with confidence, resilience and motivation to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Reduced opportunities for education and social development were identified as possible contributing factors, alongside increased reliance on social media and technology.
The report concluded that reducing the number of young people who are NEET cannot be addressed through healthcare alone. It called for better mental health support, improved access to community services and more targeted assistance across education and employment.
Employers
The employer research highlighted another part of the problem.
Only 3% of employers surveyed said they had hired young people with a mental health condition or cognitive impairment. Just 4% said they had hired young people with a physical health condition or impairment.
The figures suggest that the barriers facing young disabled people are not limited to their health conditions. Employers’ recruitment practices and their willingness or ability to provide appropriate adjustments can also influence employment opportunities.
For someone with a fluctuating or invisible condition, a conventional workplace model may not always work. Flexibility over working hours, location and workload can sometimes determine whether a person can enter or remain in employment.
Attitudes
The research also examined public attitudes toward young people receiving out-of-work benefits.
Respondents were asked what should happen when a young person receiving such benefits refuses a job because they believe they cannot do it because of a health condition or disability.
Nearly one in four people, or 24%, said the person should probably or definitely lose those benefits.
The finding provides an indication of the attitudes that benefit recipients may encounter. It also forms part of a wider debate about how society views people who are unable to work because of health conditions or disabilities.
Experiences
The sixth report focused on 30 detailed interviews with young people who were NEET but were not receiving health or disability benefits at the time they were interviewed.
Participants with invisible or fluctuating conditions described difficulties explaining their needs to employers and education providers.
Some said employers and educators struggled to understand conditions that could vary from day to day. Flexibility around working hours and location was among the adjustments participants said could make a difference.
The findings show that disability does not always fit neatly into a fixed category. Someone may be capable of working on some days but have substantially reduced capacity on others.
Review
The six DWP reports are feeding into a government review led by Alan Milburn examining young people who are not in employment, education or training.
The review has a particular focus on young disabled people and is intended to examine the reasons behind rising levels of economic inactivity and what could help more young people move into work, education or training.
The final report is expected later this year.
Taken together, the six studies suggest that the reasons young disabled people remain outside work, education or training are varied. Health conditions and mental health difficulties are important factors, but so are access to support, education disruption, employer practices and the availability of suitable adjustments.
The findings therefore present a more detailed picture than simply asking whether someone wants to work. For policymakers, the challenge is determining which forms of support can address these barriers while ensuring that young disabled people are not excluded from opportunities because their needs are difficult for employers or institutions to accommodate.
