Tories announce proposals for jobless young

Monday, 26 May 2008 12:00 AM

People under the age of 21 and unemployed are the subject of new work proposals brought forward by the Conservative party.

The Tories plan to send under-21s to specialist employers for a programme of work-based activities if they are without a job for three months, the BBC reports.

And those still jobless after 12 months will be sent to a full-time, year-long community work scheme.

Details of such proposals first emerged last January but have been explained in more detail now by shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling.

The Tories said it was a challenge to the "street-corner benefit culture" that has developed over the past 11 years. If the proposals were implemented, Mr Grayling added, fit young people will have no excuse not to work.

"Whilst young people may not always get the job they want immediately, they are better off in a job and looking to move on than languishing outside of the workplace," he was quoted as saying by the BBC.

"If they drop out of work again there will be even tougher limits on the amount of time they can spend at home on benefits."

Mr Grayling recently wrote a piece for the Yorkshire Post in which he stressed the need for an end to "the blight of general worklessness".

He also linked many problems within the welfare system to the need for good parenting and said the tax credits scheme should not tempt families financially into living apart.

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• conservatives
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• employment
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• party politics