IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Milburn reforms will fail unless clear focus on mental health – says Money and Mental Health charity

28 MAY 2026

The interim findings suggest that the number of young people who are not in employment, education, or training, could rise to 1.25 million within five years, without urgent action, underlining the scale of the crisis.

Money and Mental Health’s research has highlighted the barriers that people with mental health problems face in accessing work, and has called for systemic change from the government and employers to address this.

Conor D’Arcy, Deputy Chief Executive of Money and Mental Health, is available for interview about this today.

Responding to the Milburn review interim report, Conor said: “This review rightly highlights the barriers that young people can face in accessing work, and the need for systemic change to tackle this problem. Mental health problems have significantly increased among this group, so if the government is serious about addressing these problems, it needs to have a clear focus on mental health as one of the major factors driving this issue.

“Our research shows that many young people with mental health problems want to work, but face real challenges – from a lack of tailored support to get a job, to a lack of flexibility from employers and in some cases discriminatory attitudes.

“To address this, the government needs to put in place employment support that really reflects the needs of people dealing with mental health problems. That means focusing on matching people to roles that fit with their capabilities and health needs – rather than simply forcing them to take any job going – and providing ongoing support to help people stay in work.

“We also need to see a step change from employers in terms of proactively offering flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments, which can make a huge difference in enabling people with mental health problems to thrive in work.

“These are not quick or simple solutions, but the opportunity and risk are too great not to act. We cannot afford to write off a generation of young people with mental health problems who with the right support can flourish at work.”

ENDS

Contact:

For media enquiries, please contact Alex Goodfellow, External Affairs Officer at Money and Mental Health, at [email protected] 

Notes to Editors

About the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute

The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute is an independent charity set up by Martin Lewis, and committed to breaking the link between financial difficulty and mental health problems. We conduct research, develop practical policy solutions and work in partnership with both those providing services and those using them to find what really works. www.moneyandmentalhealth.org.