Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether young people not in receipt of universal credit will be eligible to apply to the Kickstart jobs scheme.

The £2 billion Kickstart Scheme is aimed at young people 16-24 on Universal Credit with the highest risk of long-term unemployment. We will not limit our ambitions about the scope for the Kickstart Scheme, and we are open to expand depending on the number of jobs of the right quality that organisations are able to create.

The Government has announced a comprehensive package of support for all young people. Alongside the Kickstart Scheme, we are tripling the number of traineeships for those aged 19 to 24 and doubling the number for those aged 16 to 18, increasing the funding for new apprenticeships for young people and will increase the number of people taking part in sector based work academies.