Young Britons experiencing common mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression are in danger of being completely "written off" by society, according to a stark warning from the Government's work tsar. Alan Milburn, who served as a Labour MP from 1992 until 2010, has declared that the United Kingdom is facing a profound "lost generation" crisis.
A Million Young People Not in Work or Training
This alarming assessment comes alongside the revelation that almost one million individuals aged between 16 and 24 are currently classified as Neets—not in employment, education, or training. A comprehensive review commissioned by the former cabinet minister found that one in eight young people now falls into this troubling bracket.
Previous Policies Created a 'Moral, Social and Economic Crisis'
Milburn, the former MP for Darlington, argues that successive governments have made grave errors by disproportionately channelling funds towards older demographics. He specifically criticised policies like the triple lock for state pensions, which he claims have come at the expense of investment in younger generations. This approach, he asserts, has plunged the nation into a severe "moral, social and economic crisis."
Describing the situation as both a "fiscal" and "economic" problem, Milburn emphasised that conditions like anxiety and depression are "normal" experiences for many. "So people might have anxiety or depression, but it doesn’t mean that therefore you should be written off for not being able to work," he stated in an interview with The Times.
The School-to-Benefits Pipeline
The former minister traced the roots of this issue back to the education system, highlighting that one in five children now receives a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) diagnosis. "The vast majority of those then trip into the benefits system because they get child disability allowance," Milburn explained. "The vast majority of people on child disability allowance qualify for adult Pip [a disability benefit]. And then you’re into a world of benefits."
He posed a poignant question to society: "Honestly, is that the aspiration we should have, for a whole generation of young people? A life on benefits?" Among those affected, sixty-six thousand individuals aged 16 to 18 are not engaged in education or training, a group Milburn described as effectively "invisible."
Political Context and Welfare Reform Debates
Milburn's critique of young people relying on benefits for mental health support emerges in a charged political climate. It follows Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's decision to abandon his flagship welfare reform plans last year, a move made to avoid a humiliating defeat in the Commons by his own backbench MPs.
The Prime Minister dropped proposals to cut disability benefits just hours after ministers had publicly insisted they would proceed. At the time, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch labelled the U-turn an "utter capitulation," arguing it demonstrated that "Starmer cannot govern" effectively even with a substantial parliamentary majority. Badenoch further warned that failing to address welfare reform would "bury the next generation under a mountain of borrowing and debt."
A Call for a Different Approach
Reflecting on the political impasse, Milburn suggested that the framing of welfare policy is crucial. He believes that if cuts are presented merely as stripping support away from people, rather than offering them genuine opportunities and pathways, it will inevitably lead to the current deadlock and societal crisis. The work tsar's intervention underscores a deepening concern about the prospects for Britain's youth and the long-term implications of systemic failure to address their needs.
