The Conservative Party is preparing to unveil a major welfare reform programme that would prevent many unemployed people under 25 from accessing universal credit, the primary out-of-work benefit in the UK. Instead, eligible young people would be directed into a new Get to Work scheme offering a conditional allowance designed to push them toward employment.
Under the proposals, 18 to 24-year-olds attempting to claim universal credit who lack a continuous six-month work history would be required to participate in the Get to Work scheme. Those meeting the scheme's conditions would receive a Get to Work Allowance in place of the standard universal credit payment. The scheme itself would run for up to six months, with participants able to exit early if they secure employment, an apprenticeship, or a qualifying education or training opportunity.
The proposed scheme could include daily job-centre attendance, work-experience placements, training and interview-preparation workshops, according to reporting on the Conservative plans; participants completing it would receive a "Ready for Work Award". Young people with disabilities or caring responsibilities would be exempt from participation requirements.
If participants remain unemployed after six months, they would automatically transition to a new Subsistence Allowance valued at 70% of the current standard allowance. This payment would be loaded onto a pre-paid card that restricts spending on alcohol, cigarettes and gambling. The Conservatives have not yet detailed how the separate proposed pre-paid "Back to Work" card would operate; shadow welfare secretary Helen Whately described it as a version of the Aspen card used for asylum seekers in government-funded accommodation.
Why is the party making this change?
The Conservatives frame the initiative as addressing a persistent social problem: approximately one million young people classified as Neets—not in employment, education or training. The party characterises the approach as "tough love" designed to break cycles of benefit dependency and encourage work participation.
Kemi Badenoch, announcing the plans ahead of the Conservative conference, stated:
It's unfair to the people who get up and go to work, having others earn more than them for not working. Even families on benefits know that the system is out of control. But no one wants to be the one to get off the treadmill first. We need to force that. Government has to do that.
The proposals exclude disability benefits and apply only to people assessed as capable of work. Young people who can demonstrate prior continuous employment of at least six months at 16 hours per week or more would be exempt from the scheme requirements.
What is Labour's response?
Labour has not yet formally responded to the Conservative announcement. However, the party has signalled a different approach to youth unemployment. Labour said it was introducing a £3.5bn employment-support package and a national jobs guarantee for young people who have been on Universal Credit, according to reporting on the government's welfare plans.
Former cabinet minister Alan Milburn has completed a final report from his inquiry into Neets, due for publication before the budget. He is also expected to propose measures imposing additional conditions on young people receiving out-of-work benefits, though his approach may emphasise incentives alongside requirements. Ministers are expected to adopt elements of his recommendations, though the specific details remain undisclosed.
What else is in the Conservative welfare package?
A separate Conservative proposal would reduce some Universal Credit payments by a third after six months. The party estimates this measure would affect approximately 350,000 people and generate annual savings of £538 million. Charities have raised concerns about the impact: the Trussell Trust warned that reducing support could make it harder for people to afford essentials such as rent, food and transport to interviews, calling the proposal "deeply misguided".
When will these plans take effect?
The Conservative conference is scheduled to take place in Birmingham from Sunday 4 October to Wednesday 7 October 2026. Badenoch is using the conference opening to present these welfare proposals. The party has not yet announced an implementation timeline for the Get to Work scheme or the Subsistence Allowance, though both would require legislative approval if the Conservatives return to government.
The announcement comes as welfare reform emerges as a central policy battleground between the major parties, with both Labour and the Conservatives proposing interventions aimed at reducing youth unemployment and benefit dependency, though with markedly different emphases on conditionality versus support.
