Youth Jobs Grant Eligibility Checker
Four questions and we will tell you whether you fall under the Youth Jobs Grant criteria announced in March 2026, plus what to do next.
Step 1 of 4
How old are you right now?
Are you currently claiming Universal Credit?
How long have you been claiming Universal Credit while looking for work?
Are you classified as seeking work under your claimant commitment?
Result
This tool decodes the public eligibility criteria for the Youth Jobs Grant announced in March 2026. Final eligibility is determined by your work coach and your local delivery partner. For complete official guidance see GOV.UK Universal Credit.
How the grant works (in one paragraph)
The Youth Jobs Grant is a payment from the government to the employer of £3,000 when they hire someone aged 18 to 24 who has been claiming Universal Credit and seeking work for at least 6 months. It launched as part of the March 2026 "New Deal for young people". The grant lands in the employer's accounting, not your payslip, but it lowers the cost to them of hiring you. From autumn 2026 the related Jobs Guarantee expands to offer eligible 18 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit for 18 months or longer a fully subsidised 25-hour-per-week paid placement for six months.
For a full walkthrough of the rules, see our Youth Jobs Grant 2026 explainer. For the wider 2026 graduate market context, see the State of UK Graduate Jobs 2026 data hub.
A PDF to go with this, by email
Written in May, the Graduate Job pack shows which firms cut graduate places in 2025 (all four of the Big Four did). There's also a three-month application plan.
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Updated 2 October 2026 · How we check