Britons have shared mixed reactions to claims that “workless youths won’t get out of bed for less than £40,000 a year.”
The comments come in response to a testimony given to the Lords’ social mobility policy committee by Graham Cowley, who works with young people not in employment, education or training in Blackpool.
Cowley told the committee that workless youths who are “on the internet 24-hours a day” refuse to work for less than £40,000 a year.
Speaking to GB News, one young person said: “I mean, it’s not really much to get by on, is it? Especially in London. I think it’s tough for anyone who’s young right now.”
Another person claimed: “When I was in my twenties, that would’ve been a lot of money. I don’t think £40K is a lot now, but I think it goes far enough.”
A third added: “Look, I’m not on £40K a year. People are just going to go on the dole, so it’s whatever you want to do. Personally, I think the best thing is to work.
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“What are you going to do, be on benefits for the rest of your life? No way. I’d say, get a job. Your money’s going to go up sooner or later, so just crack on with it.”
A fourth told the People’s Channel: “I think it’s always worth it, but here in London, you’d really be struggling to survive on a day-to-day basis.
“If you live somewhere outside of London, like in the Greater London area maybe more towards Kingston you could try and make it work.
“But having lived up north for decades it makes a big difference there compared to London.”
Cowley told the committee that workless youths who are “on the internet 24-hours a day” refuse to work for less than £40,000 a year.
His remarks were made during an inquiry examining why nearly one million 16 to 24-year-olds across the UK are neither working nor studying.
The testimony, delivered yesterday, prompted gasps from committee members as Cowley described the expectations of some young people he encounters through his work.
Cowley informed the committee that a colleague had recently told him there were “kids on the internet 24 hours a day, and they don’t want to work for anything less than £40,000”.
As part of Labour’s response to these challenges, Work & Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is planning a “Youth Guarantee” for 18- to 21-year-olds.
The initiative would require mayors and local authorities to ensure young people have access to apprenticeships, training and education opportunities, or assistance with finding jobs.
Those who refuse to take up work and training opportunities would lose their benefits, the government has warned.
Sir Keir Starmer has described the number of inactive young Britons as a “moral issue”, with the Prime Minister warning of a “wasted generation”.
