Youth Access

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Youth unemployment putting strain on NHS

19 December, 2011

Thea’s story highlights an urgent need to improve advice and support for young people to avoid health costs mounting

Research published today by Youth Access, the youth advice and counselling charity, shows the strain on the NHS budget from illness brought on by youth unemployment.

The research shows the impact that common unemployment-related problems about money or housing have on young people if they don’t get good early advice. Many end up in debt, homeless or involved in crime, with the taxpayer picking up the tab. The biggest strain is put on the NHS budget.

Three-quarters of a million young adults aged 16-24 become mentally or physically ill each year because of stress from problems which could have been solved easily, if they had had advice earlier. Over a third of these young people end up receiving NHS treatment from GPs, hospitals and psychiatric services, at substantial cost to the taxpayer. This will cost the NHS at least £250m a year at a time it needs to make substantial efficiency savings.

Getting good advice often transforms these young people’s lives, with 70% reporting reduced levels of stress. Many unemployed young people are able to get back into education or work once their problems are sorted out.

CASE STUDY

Thea, aged 21 from Hackney in East London, has a typical story to tell. Life was good for Thea until last year, when she was made redundant from her job as an administrator at her local council. Unable to find another job, she signed on and soon started getting into debt. She became severely depressed and ended up becoming homeless when her landlord evicted her for rent arrears. Turned away by the council’s housing department,

Thea was in desperate straits until a friend took her along to Off Centre, a local youth advice service, where she was helped to get re-housed, sort out her benefits and negotiate an affordable repayment plan for her debts.

Thea says:

“I was homeless, penniless, mentally disturbed and in the gutter when I first came here for help. If I’d got advice earlier, I might not have got into the state I was in. It felt like a huge weight was suddenly lifted off my shoulders. My whole life has turned around – I’m much more bubbly again, my depression has improved so much I’m no longer under the care of the CPN [Community Psychiatric Nurse] and I’ve started applying for jobs again. I can’t believe services like this are being cut!”

Thea is one of the lucky ones. With youth unemployment now above the 1 million mark, services providing advice and support to young people are becoming overwhelmed by a perfect storm of funding cuts and soaring demand. Cuts to Connexions and voluntary sector youth advice services across the county of 40% this year alone have led to increasing numbers of desperate young people with nowhere to turn.

Youth Access is calling for investment in advice service models that are proven to be effective for young people. Barbara Rayment, Director of Youth Access, says:

“We welcome the Government’s new focus on tackling youth unemployment, but unfortunately, initiatives like the Work Programme and the new Youth Contract will do nothing to fill the gap left by sweeping cuts to youth advice services and the impending cuts to legal aid, which will leave a further 75,000 young people without advice.

“Unless urgent action is taken now to put in place the vital advice, counselling and support services young people will need over the next few years, they – and we – will pay a heavy price.”

The Research

Youth Access is today publishing The outcomes and impact of youth advice – the evidence. The report shows that:

Social welfare problems (e.g. relating to housing, benefits, debt and employment) have a disproportionate adverse impact on disadvantaged young adults.
Young people’s unresolved problems carry a substantial cost to wider society and the public purse.
Getting advice from a youth advice service averts serious adverse outcomes, such as homelessness and mental health problems, and leads to improvements in many aspects of young people’s well-being.
Youth advice services can contribute to the achievement of a range of major central and local government policy goals relating to health, education, employment, housing, poverty, crime and child protection.
Advice is most effective when it is delivered early through independent, face-to-face advice services provided alongside emotional and mental health support as part of a holistic young person-focussed service.

Download the report

Notes for Editors

1. Youth Access is the national membership association for a network of over 200 youth information, advice, counselling and support services across the UK dealing with over one million enquiries a year on issues as diverse as sexual health, mental health, relationships, homelessness, benefits and debt. For further information, go to:

www.youthaccess.org.uk

2. For more information, a copy of the report, case studies and access to interviewees, please call:

James Kenrick, Advice Services Development Manager, Youth Access

james@youthaccess.org.uk

020 8772 9900 ext. 25 / 07535 344881