UK Universities Urge Graduates To Apply For Welfare Support Amid Youth Unemployment

Several universities in the United Kingdom have advised fresh graduates to apply for welfare benefits after completing their studies, amid concerns over rising youth unemployment and a decline in graduate job opportunities.

King’s College London, Loughborough University and the University of Stirling are among institutions that have issued guidance encouraging students to seek financial support after graduation, according to GB News.

King’s College London, in its guidance on life after university, told graduates they “shouldn’t feel bad” about claiming Universal Credit or Jobseeker’s Allowance.

The university said: “As a graduate, these benefits are in place to help you transition from full-time study to work, even if you are living at home or have [a] job lined up in a few weeks. This is an important safety net, which you should claim just in case anything changes.”

Similarly, the University of Stirling advised students that they could submit benefit claims “from the day after your official course end date”.

Loughborough University, in its financial advice for departing students, also urged graduates not to delay applications for welfare support.

“As a general rule, do not delay in making any claim for benefits,” the university advised.

The guidance comes amid growing concerns about the UK graduate jobs market and rising unemployment among young people.

According to figures cited by GB News, the unemployment rate among people aged 16 to 24 stood at 16.4 per cent in the three months to July, the highest level recorded in more than a decade.

Meanwhile, data from recruitment platform Adzuna showed that 8,383 jobs targeted at university leavers were advertised in July.

The figure represented a 45 per cent decline from the same period the previous year and was reportedly the lowest number recorded since Adzuna began tracking the data in 2016.

The advice from the universities has, however, attracted criticism from Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott, who described it as “madness”.

“Universities should set young people up for the world of work, not fast-track people to a life on benefits,” she said.

Trott also argued that too many graduates were moving directly onto welfare, thereby increasing the financial burden on taxpayers.

But Nick Hillman of the Higher Education Policy Institute defended graduates’ access to welfare support.

He told The Telegraph: “Higher education works out for most people most of the time, but that does not mean that all new graduates are able to walk straight into well-paid work.”

Hillman added that final-year maintenance loans were often smaller than students expected, leaving some graduates without sufficient funds to cover the period between completing their studies and starting employment.

Defending its guidance, King’s College London said it continued to record high graduate employment rates.

A spokeswoman for the university told GB News: “We are proud of our world-leading employment rates for graduates, 86 per cent of whom are in highly skilled employment or study 15 months after graduation.

“For a small number of our students who do not have savings or alternative means of support, we offer advice on how to seek additional assistance whilst they look for work – as is our duty of care.”