Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her speech to the Labour Party Conference of 29 September 2025, what estimate her Department has made of the average cost of a Youth Jobs Guarantee placement.

In September, the Chancellor announced that the government will offer a guaranteed job to all young people on Universal Credit, who are unemployed for over 18 months. This will guarantee an opportunity for young people to gain essential skills and experience and prevent the damaging effects of long-term unemployment. This will help aid the government's long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate.

As the Chancellor has already set out, further details on the design of work placements and delivery of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, will be set out at the Budget.

The jobs guarantee will be funded from within existing budgets and will be delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

DWP are engaging with employers and employer representative bodies on the details of the jobs guarantee. Participating employers will be agreed in due course.