OH TO BE YOUNG
350,000 young job-less Brits to get wages subsidised by Government in mini-Budget
THE Government will subsidise the wages of young people hired under a major new scheme aimed at finding work for 350,000 jobless Brits.
Rishi Sunak today unveiled the £2billion Kickstart Scheme, which will see the Government pay towards six months of wage costs of every 16 to 24-year-old hired by employers.
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
2
What was announced in the mini-Budget?
CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak has announced a £30billion "plan for jobs
The changes were announced in what's been described as a "mini-Budget" following the coronavirus.
Here's what the Chancellor announced:
- Young people hired by firms will get their wages subsidised by the government under its £2billion Kickstart Scheme
- House buyers will see stamp duty cut on homes up to £500,000 until next year - we've explained how it will work
- Households will get £5,000 in energy saving vouchers to help them insulate their homes - here's what you need to know
- Businesses will be given a £1,000 bonus for each employee they bring back from furlough
- Pubs and restaurant bills will be slashed by £10 a head in August
- VAT will be cut from 20 per cent to 5 per cent for businesses in the hospitality and tourism industry
It will cover 100 per cent of the minimum wage for a maximum of 25 hours a week — with firms able to top up income.
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the scheme in his mini-budget today as part of efforts to help Britain bounce back from the coronavirus crisis.
He said: "We cannot lose this generation, so, today, I’m announcing the Kickstart Scheme.
"A new programme to give hundreds of thousands of young people, in every region and every nation of Britain, the best possible chance of getting on and getting a job.
"These will be decent jobs – with a minimum of 25 hours per week paid at least the National Minimum Wage.
"And they will be good quality jobs – with employers providing Kickstarters with training and support to find a permanent job. "
Mr Sunak explained this meant the grant would be around £65,000 for a 24-year-old, with no cap on the number of places.
Other announcements included:
- Employers will get a £1,000 bonus per worker they re-employ from furlough in a £9billion boost for firms
- A stamp duty holiday for homes to get the housing market moving
- Vouchers worth up to £5000 each for home-owners to spend on making 650,000 homes more energy efficient
- A huge boost in apprenticeships - and a £1000 in extra cash for firms who take on trainees
- Restaurant and pub bills will be slashed in half when you eat out help the economy bounce back from the coronavirus lockdown
Apprenticeships were also given a huge boost as the Chancellor announced the Government would plough in more cash for on-job training.
The initiative to help boost young workers chances to getting a job after being hit hard by the coronavirus crisis will give firms £2000 for creating new apprenticeship roles.
The scheme will also pay for businesses to take on apprentices over the age of 15 with a bonus of £1,500.
Boris Johnson has put tackling youth unemployment at the top of the Government’s recovery plan.
It follows dire forecasts from experts predicting more than a million youngsters will be out of work this year.
The Kickstart Scheme will cost the state an average of £6,500 for each job. But Mr Sunak hopes it will trigger a mass hiring spree by firms when it opens next month.
An initial £2billion has been put aside for the scheme but the Treasury said it will increase the budget if there is high take-up.
Employers will be able to offer a six-month work placement for people aged between 16 and 24 who are claiming Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment.
Brits are also now on track for half-price restaurant meals and cut price day trips this summer as part of a bumper plan to rescue Britain's coronavirus-ravaged economy.
Mr Sunak has announced a huge cut to VAT for the hospitality sector to try and get more Brits out and about to boost the nation after months in lockdown.
2
Today's radical plans are designed to save 3.2million jobs in the hospitality industry - which is the 3rd biggest employer in the UK.
The Resolution Foundation last night forecast the scheme will help find jobs for around 350,000 youngsters in that age group.
'Ambitious scheme'
Research shows 18 to 24-year-olds are twice as likely to have been furloughed while 250,000 more under-25s are claiming jobless benefits since March.
Economic growth plunged by 20 per cent in April alone, but the Bank of England now believes a quick “V-shaped” recovery is likely.
Unemployment is expected to soar to the highest level since the 1980s and by May the number claiming jobless benefits had already hit almost three million.
The Treasury said the jobs created by the scheme will give young people the opportunity to develop skills and experience that will improve their chances of going on to find long-term sustainable work. The scheme was widely welcomed last night.
Mike Cherry, boss of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “A focus on jobs is absolutely essential to lift the country out of the economic hardship caused by the Covid crisis.” He said the scheme could “prevent a generation lost to long-term unemployment”.
Jobs company Linkedin UK hailed the job measures.
Boss Josh Graff said: The Chancellor’s commitments today will come as very welcome news for job seekers, and younger people in particular.
"While the UK labour market is starting to show signs of improvement, our data shows there are three times as many people applying to every role compared to this time last year, and people in the hardest hit industries are already turning to other sectors to find jobs."
Workers union the TUC insisted far more was needed.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Mass unemployment is now the biggest threat facing the UK, as shown by the thousands of job losses at British Airways, Airbus and elsewhere.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"The government must do far more to stem the rising tide of redundancies."
Kathleen Henehan from the Resolution Foundation called it a “bold and ambitious scheme”.
Most read in Politics
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak visit a pizza restaurant to see social distancing measures put in place
Topics