Ministers are considering introducing bursaries for families with 16- and 17-year-olds who are receiving welfare, with the aim of encouraging young people who are currently jobless to move into apprenticeships. The proposal is linked to changes in benefit payments when young people start work or training, which some accounts describe as resulting in a reduction in household welfare support. According to the coverage, the planned bursary would be intended to offset that drop, which is described as potentially amounting to hundreds of pounds a week in some cases.
The reporting indicates the measure is being explored as a response to concerns about rising inactivity among teenagers approaching working age. By offering additional financial support to parents, the policy idea seeks to reduce disincentives for households and make apprenticeship pathways more attractive.
Details on eligibility criteria, the size of any bursary, and the expected start date are not provided in the supplied excerpts. The proposal remains under consideration.
