DWP officials found a problem where thousands of people are not getting payments. They talked to MPs about fixing the issue.

Skills England leaders talked to the Work and Pensions Committee about increasing jobs. Skills England is a new government project that started in June 2025 to help people get skills and jobs, and grow the economy. It was first under the Department for Education but moved to the DWP in September 2025.

The committee asked about getting young people jobs, with nearly one million not in school, work, or training. They asked what issues are causing this and what Skills England is doing to fix it.

Phil Smith said this is a complex issue, but many of these young people are not on benefits. He said around 300,000 people are not on benefits, they are just not getting support.

These people are not getting help and it's a big problem. If you're not getting benefits you're entitled to, you're losing money.

Anyone 18 or older can claim a means-tested benefit, and some 16 or 17-year-olds can too, like those with health issues or disabilities.

Households can get a standard allowance, which is £338.58 a month for single people under 25, or £528.34 for couples under 25.

The standard amount is higher for people 25 and older, £528.34 a month for single people and £666.97 for couples.

Mr Smith talked about his group's efforts to help young people get jobs. He said they have announced foundation apprenticeships, but there's still work to do.

He said they need to make the system work for people where they are, and help them get on the right path. The DWP also updated its plans to increase funding for the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy.

This scheme will help one million young people, creating 500,000 training and job opportunities. The DWP minister said the government is taking action to help employers recruit and train young people.

The government is offering a £3,000 grant for employers who hire young people who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, and other incentives to help young people get jobs.