The new benefits reforms that could be on way for 16- to 24-year-olds
Britain faces a "generational fault line" in which more than 1.25 million young people could be out of work unless Labour overhauls the welfare, education and health system, the Government's worklessness tsar has warned. Alan Milburn, the New Labour-era former minister tasked by Sir Keir Starmer with carrying out an independent review[1] of young people not in employment, education or training (Neet) said that the UK risked a "lost generation" who had never known work. In an interim report to be published on Thursday, Milburn will outline the causes of the youth joblessness crisis and pave the way for a package of recommended reforms to be unveiled in the autumn.
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health
Why knee injuries are on the rise in the young
Caption: An elderly woman holds her knee with her hands, which has become sore from running. Concept of joint and knee problems, arthritis and osteoarthritis in old age.Photographer: Tatiana MaksimovaProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Moment RF
Young people are suffering a rapidly rising number of knee and overuse injuries as the UK experiences a boom in running, according to physiotherapists.
Clinics report a sharp increase in people inspired by social media "runfluencers" who are injuring themselves by pushing too hard and underestimating the toll on the body of distance running.
What you need to know
Caption: A group of joggers racing against each other on pedestrian walk way at the park.Photographer: Tom WernerProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Digital VisionCopyright: Copyright by Franziska & Tom Werner
Running boom
The popularity of running among people in their twenties has surged, fuelled by social media and run clubs.
Hobbling home
One London clinic has seen a more than 100 per cent rise in running-related injuries over the last five years.
Caption: Injury leg while running outdoors. First aid for sprained ligament or tendon. Close-up on dark background.Photographer: Oleg BreslavtsevProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Moment RF
Caption: Close-up view of female jogger tying laces of her sport shoes before running exercise routine. Motivation, healthy lifestyle and fitness concept.Photographer: Xavier LorenzoProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Moment RF
Knee problems
The most common problems are related to the knee, as well as shin splints, ankle sprains and Achilles problems.
'Runfluencers' fuelling over-exertion
There is no doubt that running is going through a boom - a record 1.33 million have applied for next year's London Marathon. But a social media driven exercise culture is also creating problems for newcomers.
Caption: Active sportsman stretching and warming up in order to avoid knee pain during training.
Sport injuries treating and after trauma recovery conceptsPhotographer: Yana IskayevaProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Moment RF
Caption: Male runner training by climbing stairs outdoors.Photographer: Cavan Images / Carles IturbeProvider: Getty Images/Cavan Images RFSource: Cavan Images RFCopyright: CARLES_ITURBE
Experts warn that runfluencers, who document training and sell coaching plans, can lead to novices doing too much, too quickly. They emphasise instead the importance of starting slowly and anticipating the accumulation of fatigue over weeks of training.
weather
When is it too hot to walk your dog?
Caption: The concept of hot weather and a pet. Hands holding a bottle and giving water to a dog in an urban environment. Breed Airedale Terrier.Photographer: OLGA KAZANTSEVAProvider: Getty ImagesSource: iStockphotoCopyright: Kazantseva Olga, [email protected]
It is not only humans who will have been feeling the heat in recent days.
The onset heatstroke in dogs can happen in minutes, meaning owners should take particular care when walking their pooch in hot weather. The Kennel Club recommends measures including only taking dogs out at cooler times of the day and looking out for signs of heat distress, including heavy panting and lethargy or confusion.
What you need to know
- Dogs cannot regulate their body temperatures as well as humans.
Panting is their main cooling mechanism. They can also sweat from their paw pads and noses.
- During extreme heat, dogs should only be walked very early in the morning or later in the evening. Always carry water and something for your pet to drink from.
- Very hot pavements can burn your dog's paws so try to avoid them.
When at home, put ice cubes in your pooch's water bowl and give them damp towels to lie on. Never place a damp towel over the dog because this can trap heat.
The signs of heatstroke to look out for and what to do next
A dog in heat distress can show signs such as heavy panting even when not exercising, unwillingness to move, dribbling and confusion, as well as not walking in a straight line. Contact a vet immediately if heatstroke is suspected and move the dog into shade or a cool floor.
Carefully pour water over its body, focusing on neck, stomach and inner thighs. Fan the dog with cool air.
Caption: black labrador dog exhausted by the heat lying on the white tile of a kitchen in summerPhotographer: Nicolas Jooris-AncionProvider: Getty Images/iStockphotoSource: iStockphotoCopyright: NJOO
NEWS
3 min read
(Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty).
CONSUMER
Lidl replaces Morrisons as Britain's fifth-biggest supermarket chain
The German-owned discounter increased its sales by nearly 9 per cent in the three months to mid-May, making it the fastest-growing store-based food retailer, according to new figures.
Lidl now has a record 8.6 per cent market share. The rapid sales growth, fuelled by households tightening their belts amid renewed cost of living pressures, means it has leapfrogged Morrisons (8.3 per cent) as the fifth-largest supermarket.
What you need to know
- Lidl has emerged as a big winner of shifting food retail patterns as shoppers use promotions to keep costs down.
Grocery inflation last month slowed to 3.1 per cent.
- Figures from Worldpanel by Numerator show Lidl increased its sales by 8.8 per cent in the last quarter to 17 May. Only online grocer Ocado - 10.2 per cent - did better as a food-based retailer.
- Lidl now sits behind Aldi, Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco in Britain's supermarket pecking order. Morrisons insists it market share is underestimated by the Worldpanel figures, which exclude sales from its convenience stores.
Lidl: How the German chain has become a British retail favourite
Some 25 years ago, Lidl accounted for just 1.4 per cent of a UK grocery market where names such as Safeway, Somerfield and Kwik Save were still active. While those chains are now long gone, Lidl - along with fellow German brand Aldi - has rapidly prospered.
Lidl has increased the wages of all its hourly-paid workers(Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA)
Caption: New Everyday and Weekly surprises merchandise display at Lidl Food Market, Queens, New York. (Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)Photographer: UCGProvider: UCG/Universal Images Group via GSource: Universal Images Group Editorial
Its emphasis on low prices has helped Lidl build market share in Britain's cut-throat food retail sector. It now has 1,000 stores and 13 distribution centres, employing 35,000 staff across Great Britain.
courts
Liverpool goalkeeper fined for using phone while driving
Caption: BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MAY 15: Giorgi Mamardashvili of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Liverpool at Villa Park on May 15, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)Photographer: Catherine Ivill - AMAProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images EuropeCopyright: 2026 Catherine Ivill - AMA
A Liverpool FC player has been fined GBP440 after he was caught by police watching a video on his smartphone while driving on the motorway.
Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was seen by officers holding his phone at the centre of his steering wheel while he was on the M6 near Warrington in January this year. The player did not enter a plea and was convicted on the basis of police written evidence.
What you need to know
- The 27-year-old player, the first Georgian to play for Liverpool, was caught by police at about 3.45pm on 27 January while driving in his Audi on the M6 motorway.
- In a statement, a Cheshire Police officer said the player was holding a phone.
The officer said: "The driver appeared to be watching something on the screen whilst he was driving at motorway speed."
- Mamardashvili did not respond to a police prosecution notice and his case was dealt with in a private hearing. As well as being fined he received six penalty points.
A closer look at the background
Mamardashvili is only the latest in a steady flow of drivers being punished by the courts for using a mobile phone while behind the wheel.Between 2022-2025, there was a 21 per cent increase in convictions for the motoring offence.
Caption: Young Asian businessman looking at mobile phone, sitting in a car. Man of style and status in full using smartphone, traveling by a car. Business travel.
Mobile navigation on smartphone.Photographer: Oscar WongProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Moment RF
Caption: Young woman texting while drivingPhotographer: Peter DazeleyProvider: Getty ImagesSource: The Image Bank RF
It has been illegal to use a phone while driving since 2003; But the law was tightened in 2022 to ensure that only hands-free use is legal. Since last year, AI-powered roadside cameras can identify drivers using phones or not wearing seatbelts.
science
How music lessons can improve attention span
Caption: Girls practicing playing violin and trumpetPhotographer: JGI/Jamie GrillProvider: Getty Images/Tetra images RFSource: Tetra images RFCopyright: ?JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images LLC
The ability to play a musical instrument improves the attention span of children and young adults, a study suggests. Canadian researchers found musicians were able to respond faster and with fewer lapses in focus when their attention span was tested compared to non-musicians.
The findings suggest learning an instrument could be a way of countering the erosion of attention spans caused by social media.
What you need to know
- The study compared the performance of 268 musicians and non-musicians, aged eight to 34, who were set a number of computer-based tasks.
- The two groups were closely matched on factors such as age, socio-economic status, personality traits and time spent playing video games.
- Those with formal musical training were found to be faster at responding to the test prompts and showed fewer lapses in concentration while carrying out tasks.
A closer look at the findings
The researchers at Canada's McMaster University emphasised that the gains were broadly modest.But the findings add to a debate about the wider educational benefits of learning a musical instrument.
Photographer: Justin PagetProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Digital Vision
Caption: Boy playing drums in a music schoolPhotographer: FG TradeProvider: Getty ImagesSource: E+
Rafael Roman-Caballero, who led the study, said children may accumulate wider cognitive skills as they learn an instrument, such as co-ordination and an ability to correct mistakes as they play. He said: "Like many cognitive abilities, attention may become more refined and efficient the more it is exercised."
money
Grandmother's GBP1m lottery win playing late husband's numbers
Caption: EDITORIAL USE ONLY(left to right) Julie Tresadern, Rose Tresadern and Barry Tresadern celebrate winning ?1 million on the National Lottery Lotto with afternoon tea at the Roslyn Beach Hotel in Southend-on-Sea.
Issue date: Wednesday May 27, 2026. PA Photo. The family played using their late husband and father Derek's Lotto numbers, which came up in the April 18 draw.
Photo credit should read: Kieran Cleeves/PA Media AssignmentsPhotographer: Kieran Cleeves/PA Media AssignmentsProvider: Kieran Cleeves/PA Media AssignmentsSource: PA
Rose Tresadern scooped the GBP1m National Lottery prize along with her two children after deciding to continue playing her late husband Derek's numbers following his death last year. Retired office manager Rose, 80, from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, said the win made it feel like Derek was "still looking out for us". She plans to spend some of her winnings on a new ring to remind her of Derek.
What you need to know
- The family decided to continue playing Mr Tresadern's Lotto numbers because they reminded them of him. The 83-year-old former business analyst died last year.
- The numbers - 1, 4, 12, 15, 39, and the bonus ball 48 - came up in the Lotto draw on 18 April, netting them a GBP1m prize for matching five numbers plus the bonus ball.
- The prize is being shared between Mrs Tresadern and her children, Barry, 52, and Julie, 57. She said she did not know what the numbers had meant to her husband, adding: "I know he'd be over the moon."
How the winnings will be spent
When Mrs Tresadern phoned her children to tell them of their good fortune, they initially thought something was wrong. She said: "I could hardly speak... When I told them we'd won GBP1m, there was just silence."
Camelot's profits are up - but cash for good causes down - as players switch to scratch cards
Caption: EDITORIAL USE ONLY(left to right) Barry Tresadern, Rose Tresadern and Julie Tresadern celebrate winning ?1 million on the National Lottery Lotto with afternoon tea at the Roslyn Beach Hotel in Southend-on-Sea. Issue date: Wednesday May 27, 2026. PA Photo.
The family played using their late husband and father Derek's Lotto numbers, which came up in the April 18 draw. Photo credit should read: Kieran Cleeves/PA Media AssignmentsPhotographer: Kieran Cleeves/PA Media AssignmentsProvider: Kieran Cleeves/PA Media AssignmentsSource: PA
Mrs Tresadern is planning on using some of her winnings to move to a retirement home better suited to her mobility needs. She will also buy a ring after her original engagement ring became worn out.
Caption: Undated handout artist rendering issued by Nasa of the proposed moon base being built.
Nasa has unveiled far-reaching plans for its first Moon base that could see people living and working on the lunar surface within six years. Located at the satellite's south pole, the outpost, which eventually may have sites spread out over hundreds of square miles, will be established in a phased approach, which builds capability over time. Issue date: Wednesday May 27, 2026
https://www.nasa.gov/image-detail/liveenable-im3-sustainabilitylogistics-withastros-3/Copyright: Nasa
space
Nasa unveils next steps for Moon base
America's space agency has released details of the technology - from robotic landers to hopping drones - it aims to send to the Moon as part of plans to build a permanent base.
The machines also include vehicles that astronauts could drive over the lunar surface and carry scientific instruments. Washington wants to land Americans back on the Moon before Donald Trump leaves office in 2029.
What you need to know
Caption: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, with acting Associate Administrator Lori Glaze and Moon Base Program Executive Carlos Garcia-Galan, holds a news conference on updated plans for the agency???s Moon Base initiative for a long-term lunar presence, at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 26, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstPhotographer: Jonathan ErnstProvider: REUTERSSource: REUTERS
£20bn Moon base
In March, Nasa unveiled a £20bn programme to build a lunar base, powered by nuclear and solar energy, by 2032.
Landers and hoppers
The first phase will involve the building of robotic landers and hopping drones to map the Moon's terrain.
Caption: Undated handout artist rendering issued by Nasa of the proposed moon base being built. Nasa has unveiled far-reaching plans for its first Moon base that could see people living and working on the lunar surface within six years.
Located at the satellite's south pole, the outpost, which eventually may have sites spread out over hundreds of square miles, will be established in a phased approach, which builds capability over time. Issue date: Wednesday May 27, 2026
https://www.nasa.gov/image-detail/liveenable-im3-sustainabilitylogistics-withastros-3/Copyright: Nasa
'As one of Amazon's top three markets globally, the UK should be wary of Jeff Bezos's embrace,' writes Ian Burrell (Photo: Alexander Tamargo/Getty for America Business Forum)
Contracts awarded
Jeff Bezos's space company Blue Origin is among the US firms which have been awarded contracts.
America's new space race with China
China is pressing ahead with its own plans to land humans on the Moon by 2030 as the two superpowers gear up for a new Cold War-style race to assert their technological supremacy in space.
Caption: IN SPACE - APRIL 03: (EDITOR'S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images' editorial policy.) In this handout image provided by NASA, Orion snapped this high-resolution selfie in space with a camera mounted on one of its solar array wings during a routine external inspection of the spacecraft on the second day into the Artemis II mission on April 3, 2026. NASA's Artemis II mission will take Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images)Photographer: NASAProvider: NASA via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images North America
Chinese astronauts Tang Hongbo, Nie Haisheng and Liu Boming attend a see-off ceremony at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre (Photo: Yang Zhiyuan/VCG via Getty Images)
Most experts believe that Nasa's 2032 deadline for a permanent lunar base is unrealistic. And while the Artemis II mission in April to send four astronauts around the Moon was a success, some scientists believe it is China which is most likely to be the next nation to place humans on the lunar surface.
business
Amazon's UK tax bill rises to top GBP1.3bn
Caption: Sydney, Australia - 2022-07-22 Amazon prime boxes and envelopes delivered to a front door of residential building. Black Friday Cyber Monday Christmas Sale Prime Day. Amazon Flex deliveryPhotographer: Daria NipotProvider: Getty ImagesSource: iStock Editorial
Online giant Amazon said it paid more than GBP1.3bn in UK taxes last year - a rise of more than a fifth as higher labour and business costs pushed up its bill.
The internet-based vendor said its revenues in the UK had also risen, exceeding GBP30bn in 2025, compared to about GBP29bn in 2024. The company earlier this year launched its first drone deliveries in Darlington.
What you need to know
- Amazon is one of the UK's biggest private sector employers, with some 75,000 staff in roles from warehouse workers to technologists.
- The company said its tax payments had last year increased by at least 20 per cent, driven in particular by the national insurance rate hike which came into effect last April.
- Amazon has pledged to invest heavily in the UK and plans to spend GBP40bn between 2025 and 2027 on developments including new warehouse sites and offices in London.
Amazon and its rising tax bill
Campaigners have previously criticised Amazon over the amount of tax its pays relative to the size of its operations. Its sales of GBP30bn last year dwarfed those of many traditional UK retailers.
Shoppers are brace for an extended Amazon Prime Day event this month (Photo: Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty)
An Amazon fulfillment centre in Dartford. Contagious cases of TB were found at an Amazon warehouse in Coventry (Photo: Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty)
The company did not pay any corporation tax in 2021 and 2022 under a tax break scheme introduced by Conservative chancellor Rishi Sunak. But it is now seeing its bills increase significantly as it becomes more embedded into Britain's retail landscape.
What is the scale of the problem?
At the end of 2025, 957,000 people aged 16 to 24 in the UK were Neet, representing 12.8 per cent of the age group, or one in eight.
Milburn warns that without urgent action, the number could rise to 1.25 million within five years, or one in six of those in that age group. At the launch of his report on Thursday, he is expected to say: "Six in 10 have never had a job. Twenty years ago, that figure was closer to four in 10.
Detachment is no longer temporary. For too many young people, it is becoming permanent. We are at risk of a lost generation."
What is driving it?
The interim report will identify a range of factors behind the crisis.
Firstly, there has been a contraction in entry-level jobs, with 1.6 million fewer low and medium-skilled jobs in the economy compared to 20 years ago. Vacancies in hospitality have halved in the last four years alone, apprenticeships starts among young people have fallen by 35 per cent over the last decade, and Milburn says that Saturday jobs have been in "freefall". He is expected to say: "The first rung of the career ladder has thinned.
For too many young people, it is now simply out of reach. That places them in a hopeless Catch-22 where employers ask for work experience but the opportunities for young people to gain it have narrowed or gone." While opportunities in the labour market have decreased, Milburn also accuses the UK of a "whole-system failure".
In 2024-25, for every GBP1 spent on employment support for young people, about GBP25 was spent on benefits. He is expected to say: "This is not a failure of young people. It is a failure of a system stuck in the past.
Whether it is education or health or welfare, that system fails to enable their participation in the labour market. Instead, all too often it ends up putting young people on a path to a life not in jobs but on benefits. This should be the priority for the Government.
It should be the priority for all of us." Milburn argues that the mental health of young people[2] has also deteriorated, with social media and smartphone use partly to blame. However, he says that the diagnosis of conditions like anxiety or depression should not automatically mean people leaving the workforce, and that 84 per cent of Neets want a job or training.
What welfare reforms is he advocating?
Milburn's reforms will be set out in a full report, which will be published later in the year, likely due in the autumn.
At the top of the list will be an overhaul of the welfare system, particularly health and disability benefits. Milburn has said: "Welfare reform is not an optional extra, it's a necessity." Given that Starmer was forced into a humiliating U-turn[3] on sickness benefit cuts last year because of the opposition of Labour backbenchers, this will be difficult for the Government.
In recent interviews, Milburn has said that ministers went the wrong way about the reforms by framing it about cutting costs. "It's needed more for moral reasons than for fiscal reasons," he said. Milburn has criticised "cliff edges" in the benefits system which mean that those who want to work are sometimes put off by the prospect of losing up to GBP2,000 a month in benefits. He is likely to propose a gradual build-up or trial period to work to alleviate the fear that young people could lose all their income if a job does not work out, as well as reforms to the system so that people do not have a perverse financial incentive not to work.
Ministers have already proposed restricting eligibility to universal credit health benefits (known as UC health) for under-22s to tackle high levels of young people out of work. UC health is a means-tested benefit payment for welfare claimants assessed as having limited capability for work due to a health condition or disability. Any decision to restrict eligibility has been delayed until after Milburn's full report in the autumn.
It could become a reality if the Government is able to demonstrate that any cut would come alongside substantial support measures to help youngsters into employment. In an interview with[4] The i Paper[5], Milburn said the welfare system contained "so many perverse disincentives which were almost like they'd been designed to discourage people from going into work". His remarks about a rise in young people with mental ill-health, anxiety, depression and neurodiversity suggest he will also likely look to recommend reforms to the welfare system that would encourage them into employment, training or education.
Some of Milburn's recommendations may influence future plans to overhaul the work capability assessment (WCA), which is used to decide how a health condition or disability affects a person's ability to work and what benefits they can receive.
What else will he call for?
A key recommendation is likely to be more funding for training and schemes to support young people into work, given the huge disparity Milburn highlights between these programmes and expenditure on benefits. As well as having a health system which encourages people into work, Milburn has said that employers need to offer "a high level of pastoral care for this cohort of young people living with mental distress". There could also be financial incentives for companies to take young people on - last year, The i Paper reported that ministers were looking at tax breaks for employing under-24s[6].
The Government is already offering six-month subsidised jobs for younger workers who have been on universal credit for 18 months under its "jobs guarantee" with employers such as McDonald's or John Lewis.
A "youth jobs grant" launching next month will also provide GBP3,000 to employers for every young person they take on who is aged 18 to 24 and who has been on universal credit and looking for work for six months.
Milburn has also suggested that young people could be used to replace a drop in skilled workers in certain sectors following a fall in migration.
References
- ^ independent review (inews.co.uk)
- ^ the mental health of young people (inews.co.uk)
- ^ forced into a humiliating U-turn (inews.co.uk)
- ^ In an interview with (inews.co.uk)
- ^ The i Paper (inews.co.uk)
- ^ tax breaks for employing under-24s (inews.co.uk)