Sensible policy klaxon 🚨 Currently, if a 16 year old chooses to stay in school/college, their family can keep claiming benefits as before (notably child benefit). If they opt for an apprenticeship, the benefits stop. The system discourages apprenticeships. The DWP just announced a fix 🧵 Apprentices will now be eligible for a £4,500 bursary, so that there's no longer a financial disincentive to take up an apprenticeship. Seems eminently sensible, especially for a government looking to promote technical post-16 routes. gov.uk
www.gov.uk
This comes on the back of research by the Social Security Advisory Committee: gov.uk
www.gov.uk
And research from the University of Bath, which found that "the withdrawal of child benefit can make the apprenticeship route a less appealing option to those from low-income households, even if there are suitable opportunities available to them". bath.ac.uk
www.bath.ac.uk
A good reminder that careful research can inform sensible policy changes!