Claim fec5f16eChecked 21 Jul 2026
TrueOn the truth scale
“If young people have not got a job after 18 months, they can be given a supported job for six months.”
Reasoning & Evidence21 Jul 2026
The claim is directly supported by official UK government sources. The Jobs Guarantee, a central component of the government's Youth Guarantee, provides a fully funded six-month paid job to eligible young people who have been claiming Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months. Phase One launched in April 2026 across six areas, and a national rollout was planned to begin later in 2026, expanding eligibility to all 18–24-year-olds. The government funds 100% of employment costs for up to 25 hours per week at the relevant minimum wage, alongside wraparound support and training.
Starmer's description — that after 18 months without a job, young people "can then be given a job for six months supported" — accurately captures the core mechanism of the Jobs Guarantee scheme. Official GOV.UK publications, the House of Commons Library briefing, and Hansard all confirm this policy design.
Sources:
- GOV.UK, "Jobs Guarantee" publications page: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobs-guarantee
- GOV.UK Find a Grant, "Jobs Guarantee": https://find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/grants/jobs-guarantee-1
- GOV.UK, "Jobs Guarantee Grant Guidance": https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobs-guarantee/jobs-guarantee-grant-guidance
- House of Commons Library, "Youth Guarantee" research briefing (CBP-10827): https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10827/
- Hansard, "Youth Guarantee: Jobs Guarantee National Roll-out" (9 June 2026): https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026-06-09/debates/26060938000016/YouthGuaranteeJobsGuaranteeNationalRoll-Out
- BBC News, "Reeves to guarantee paid work for young people unemployed for 18 months": https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80gj2knrx4o
From speech
All our welfare reform measures, and all our measures to get young people into work, are to reduce the cost and numbers of people who are unemployed. That is why we have introduced the youth guarantee so that young people can have help into work. If, after 18 months, they have not got a job, they can then be given a job for six months supported, which we know is the best way to ensure they succeed. That is the change we are making, but the Conservatives introduced the system that is broken. We are reforming it. Did they vote to reform it with us? No, they voted to keep the broken system.
Sources opened