Military personnel in South Wales supporting a wildfire response [file image] (Image: Getty)
Young people can receive more by receiving sickness benefits than they would by joining the Army, new data has shown.
A study carried out by the Telegraph shows those who claim handouts can actually earn more than £2,000 a year more than an Army recruit’s take-home pay.
The new analysis conducted by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) shows that young people can be better off on benefits than joining the Army.
A newly recruited private earns a salary of £27,282, which after tax and National Insurnace translates to a take-home pay of £23,163 after income tax and National Insurance.
If you compare this with someone who is under-25 years old, and already receiving sickness benefits and housing support, the latter can claim £25,444 a year tax-free – meaning they are £2,282 better off.
Additionally, benefits are expected to increase by 3 per cent in April 2027, which would see the top rate of personal independence payments (PIPs) pass £200 a week.
Joe Shalam, Policy Director at the Centre for Social Justice, said: “Addressing the broken welfare system could not be more important for Britain’s future, including our security as a country.
“We must root out the perverse incentives that are causing mayhem across the economy, not least the explosion in cash payments for milder mental health conditions. Britain is highly unusual in this.
“Serving in the armed forces is one of the proudest contributions anyone can make to society.
“Ending the cycle of dependency and expanding proper support would help hundreds of thousands more young people reach their potential. We simply cannot waste any more time.”
The government has called the comparison ‘misleading’ (Image: Getty)
It comes as the UK is set to call up 95,000 retirees to help prepare for a potential war with Russia.
Louise Sandher-Jones, the Armed Forces minister, said a “strategic reserve” of 95,000 retired troops will be called into action “on a scale we haven’t seen for a long time”.
The government has responded to the study by slamming the findings as ‘misleading’ and pointing out that privates would be housed and looked after while staying in the barracks.
A Government spokesman told the Telegraph: “This comparison is misleading – privates would be housed and provided for in the barracks. The Armed Forces have received three above-inflation pay rises, with the average military salary £45,710.
“But we’re clear that households in work should be consistently better off than households on benefits alone, and we are reforming the system to provide more opportunities for unemployed young people as well as personalised support for those who have been signed off and written off.
“The final recommendations from the Timms and Milburn Reviews will lay the foundation for sustainable reform.”
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