Consultation response: Poverty and Inequality All-Party Parliamentary Group’s Inquiry into the situation of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET)

One in eight young people aged 16–24 are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Young people in the UK’s lowest-income households are around 3.5 times more likely to be
out of work and education than those in the highest. In 2025, 40% of NEET young people were in material deprivation, twice the adult rate, with many unable to afford essentials such
as heating and food. The weak labour market, including ongoing high rates of inflation and hikes to national insurance, is affecting young adults more than any other age group.

The House of Commons All-Party Parliamentary Group on Poverty and Inequality is conducting an inquiry into the situation of these young people. Our response highlights the structural problems that lock young people out from jobs, education, and training. We go on to highlight how they are more at risk of arbitrary sanctions from our social security system, and we make recommendations on how the UK Government can support them better.

You can read the response in the window below, or download it from here.