Students at several leading UK universities are being advised on how to claim benefits from the day their courses end, prompting concerns that young people are being pushed towards a life on welfare.
Guidance issued by some institutions encourages graduates to apply for Universal Credit even if they are living with their parents or have a job due to begin within a few weeks.
Another university advises students to begin their applications before completing their courses, warning them not to delay making a claim.
The advice comes as young people face the worst employment crisis in decades. University leavers were competing for just 8,383 graduate vacancies in July, representing a 45 per cent fall in job adverts compared with the same month last year.
The number of graduate roles has fallen below the level recorded in May 2020, during the height of the coronavirus lockdown.
Official figures also show that unemployment among 16-to-24-year-olds increased from 16.2 per cent to 16.4 per cent in the three months to July—the highest rate in more than a decade.
Critics claim universities should be equipping students with the skills needed to navigate the difficult jobs market rather than placing them on what has been described as a “fast track” to benefits.
At King’s College London (KCL), one of the country’s leading Russell Group universities, a blog about life after graduation tells students they “shouldn’t feel bad” about claiming support such as Universal Credit and Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA).
Pictured: King’s College London, one of the leading universities advising students on applying for benefits after completing their courses
In Scotland, the University of Stirling says claims can be made “from the day after your official course end date” (file image)
Loughborough University specified a June date from which graduates could become eligible to apply for benefits
“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,” the guidance states.
Loughborough University has also published a specific date in June from which graduates could apply for support.
Its “money after university” guidance says: “If you are not immediately starting paid work, you may wish to apply for Universal Credit.”
The page adds that Universal Credit can be claimed from the day after a course ends and that students can begin an application one or two weeks beforehand because the process takes time. It also advises: “As a general rule, do not delay in making any claim for benefits.”
Meanwhile, the University of Stirling advises that claims can be made “from the day after your official course end date”.
The university says: “You may need to claim Universal Credit once you are no longer a student whilst you seek employment or wait to start further study.”
In an effort to address the youth unemployment crisis, Andy Burnham has promised a new government programme designed to help young people move into work.
Under the Jobs Guarantee scheme, 18-to-24-year-olds who receive Universal Credit and have been out of work for 18 months will be offered a direct route into employment.
The roles will be matched to each participant’s skills, with the government fully funding up to 25 hours of paid work a week for six months to help them enter the labour market.
It is hoped that more than 90,000 young people will be supported by the scheme in the next three years.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: ‘Young people want to get on in life but for too long too many have been denied that opportunity. The Jobs Guarantee helps change that.
‘Seeing the first young people start their roles brings to life what this scheme is about: real jobs, proper wages, and a genuine route into a career.
‘As we roll this out to tens of thousands more young people across the country, we’re backing the next generation to succeed and backing British businesses to grow with the talent they need.’
A spokesperson for King’s College London said: ‘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.’
The Daily Mail has approached Loughborough University and the University of Stirling for a comment.