Young disabled people and those with long-term health conditions will be offered faster access to paid employment under an expansion of the government’s Jobs Guarantee from April 2027.
Eligible young people receiving health-related benefits will be able to join the voluntary programme from week 13 after their Work Capability Assessment, rather than waiting until they have experienced long-term unemployment before employment support becomes available.
The government will cover 100% of wage costs for up to 25 hours a week for six months. Participants will also receive mentoring and tailored support covering areas including mental health, finances, and housing, while employers will receive support with onboarding costs.
The expansion builds on the Jobs Guarantee introduced earlier in 2026 for long-term unemployed 18 to 24-year-olds who have been claiming Universal Credit for 18 months. The programme is intended to help up to 90,000 young people into work by the end of the current Parliament.
The new eligibility forms part of a broader £3.5bn package of employment reforms. Separately, the government has committed £2.5bn over three years to Youth Guarantee schemes, including £3,000 payments for businesses employing a young person who has been out of work for six months and an expansion of youth apprenticeships.
The policy is intended to intervene earlier in a labour-market problem that has become increasingly concentrated among young people reporting health conditions or disabilities.
An interim review led by Alan Milburn found that 45% of young people not in education, employment, or training reported having a disability, compared with 21.1% in 2013/14. The government is using that increase to support a model that offers paid employment before prolonged economic inactivity becomes established.
Harriet Edwards, director of influencing at disability charity Sense, said: “We welcome investment that gives more young disabled people the opportunity to get into work. Too many who want to work are still locked out by barriers, including a lack of appropriate support, inaccessible workplaces and negative attitudes.
“These jobs must be accessible, work for the individual and lead to lasting opportunities. Young disabled people need tailored support and inclusive workplaces, and success should be measured not just by how many start a job, but whether they have the support and opportunities to build the future they choose.”
The distinction between starting a job and remaining in employment will be central to the programme’s effectiveness. A wage subsidy can reduce the immediate financial risk of recruitment, but it does not remove the need for reasonable adjustments, accessible technology, appropriate working patterns, occupational-health support, or effective line management.
The scheme also sits alongside the government’s planned “right to try”, intended to allow people receiving sickness-related benefits to attempt work without an immediate fear that doing so will automatically remove their existing support.
Taken together, those policies are designed to reduce some of the financial and administrative risks associated with entering employment after a period of ill health or disability.
Employer participation will determine how widely the Jobs Guarantee can operate. Many barriers identified by disability organisations arise within recruitment systems and workplaces rather than from a lack of willingness to work.
Application processes, transport, physical accessibility, working hours, equipment, performance management, and manager confidence can all affect whether someone is able to take up and retain a role.
Larger employers may have established HR, occupational-health, and workplace-adjustment systems that help manage those requirements. Smaller businesses can face greater practical and financial constraints, making the quality of onboarding support and coordination with programmes such as Access to Work particularly important.
British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said retailers expected to play a “central role” in delivering opportunities from 2027. The sector is already participating in a separate national work-experience initiative offering more than 11,000 placements to young people who are furthest from the labour market.
Employment outcomes will also depend on what happens when the six-month wage subsidy ends. Roles that exist principally because labour costs are temporarily covered would do little to improve long-term employment rates if participants return quickly to benefits or economic inactivity.
The government will therefore have several measures available beyond initial placement numbers, including retention, progression, earnings, employer participation, workplace accessibility, and movement into sustained employment.
The expanded programme is due to begin in April 2027. Its performance will provide evidence on whether earlier access to paid work, combined with wage subsidies and tailored support, can improve employment outcomes for young disabled people without leaving employers or participants with an abrupt gap once the funded period ends.
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