UK Government to pay parental benefits to boost apprenticeship uptake
The British government will provide a bursary of up to £4,500 a year to families on benefits whose 16‑ or 17‑year‑old children start an apprenticeship. The payment, funded from a £30 million pot sourced from the growth and skills levy on large employers, is intended to replace the loss of Universal Credit child payments that can fall between £17 and £340 per week when a teenager leaves full‑time education for work.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden announced the scheme, saying it removes a “cliff edge” that discourages apprenticeships for a small number of households – estimated at a few thousand. Prime Minister Andy Burnham linked the initiative to a broader plan to cut youth NEET rates, which currently affect over a million 16‑24‑year‑olds, and stressed that young people will be expected to engage with the new support.
The policy forms part of the government’s wider effort to reform the benefits system and encourage technical and vocational training as a route into employment.
Entities: Andy Burnham · Department for Work and Pensions · Pat McFadden · Social Security Advisory Committee · UK Government
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden announced the bursary and said young people will be expected to engage with the support. (Article 2)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The bursary is intended to replace lost Universal Credit payments for families whose children start apprenticeships. (Article 2)
- [● 2 SOURCES] More than one million people aged 16‑24 are currently NEET in the UK. (Articles 1 and 3)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the policy aims to stop families losing benefits when their children start apprenticeships and to lower youth unemployment. (Articles 1 and 2)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The government will offer families on benefits up to £4,500 per year if their children take apprenticeships. (All three articles)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The bursary will be funded from a £30 million pot financed by the growth and skills levy on employers with wage bills over £3 million. (Article 1)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The scheme is expected to benefit a few thousand households. (Article 1)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Parents receiving Universal Credit can lose between £17 and £340 per week in child benefit when a 16‑ or 17‑year‑old starts an apprenticeship. (Articles 1 and 3)