Almost HALF of younger folks not working or finding out are classed as ‘disabled’ after an enormous rise in psychological well being diagnoses
Almost half of young people who are not working or studying are now classed as disabled after a dramatic rise in mental health conditions, official figures show.
Some 45.8 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) were classed as disabled last year – up by 24.3 percentage points in a decade.
Almost a quarter of Britons of all ages report having a disability – meaning about twice as many young people who are not working or studying are classed as disabled compared to the general public.
The number of NEETs has skyrocketed since the pandemic and it is predicted that there will soon be more than a million young people not in employment or education on the current trajectory.
New figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show there were 891,000 NEETs in 2024/2025 – including 401,500 who gave disability or ill-health as their main reason for not working or studying.
The most common health condition reported by disabled NEET young people was depression, bad nerves or anxiety (24.4 per cent), followed by autism (22.4 per cent) and mental illness or other nervous disorders (17.5 per cent).
Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately described the sharp increase as ‘seriously concerning’ and said it will have ‘huge knock-on effects on the welfare system’
The figures will fuel alarm about the impact of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plans for this month’s Budget on jobs for young people
Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately described the sharp increase as ‘seriously concerning’ and said it will have ‘huge knock-on effects on the welfare system’.
She told the Mail ‘Far too many young people are being signed off or opting out, claiming benefits and not working. For the vast majority, this is the wrong path and makes their mental health worse.
‘Instead of fixing this, the Government is destroying opportunities for young people – risking a wasted generation. Only the Conservatives will stand up for the next generation and get Britain working.’
The total number of disabled NEET 16 to 24-year-olds in 2024/2025 was 401,333 – with 258,188 of these suffering from mental illness, depression, anxiety, or autism.
And the DWP figures show that the majority are not looking for work – with 62 per cent saying that disability or ill-health was their main reason for being NEET compared to just 12 per cent who said they were only NEET because they were looking for work or a suitable course.
Aman Navani, policy analyst at the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, said that the levels of disabled NEET young people ‘have changed dramatically over the last decade’.
He added: ‘In order to address this worrying trend, policymakers must provide enhanced support to find work or training but recognise that additional health support – in particular mental health support – will be critical for young people to enter and remain in work.’
The DWP said that as part of its plans to get Britain back to health, it has launched an independent review led by Sir Charlie Mayfield to recommend ways to better support people with ill health who may be at risk of falling out of work and to help disabled people stay in employment.
Minister for Employment Diana Johnson said: ‘Today’s disability employment statistics show why we need to shift our focus to support people – including our young people – into good, secure work with the skills and opportunities they deserve.
‘We’re investing £1billion a year in employment support for disabled people by the end of the decade, alongside tailored help through programmes like Connect to Work and our Youth Guarantee.
‘For too long the system has written people off – we will give them the opportunity to succeed.’
