Employers of all sizes can apply for Kickstart funding to create jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit. Employers can spread the job start dates up until 31 December 2021, with funding available until 30 June 2022 if a young person starts their job on 31 December 2021.
The funding covers:
- 100% of the National Minimum Wage (or National Living Wage where applicable by age) for 25 hours per week for a total of 6 months.
- Associated employer National Insurance contributions
- Minimum automatic enrolment pension contributions
In addition, a further £1500 funding per job is available to help the young people on the scheme become more employable. This funding can be spent on:
- setup costs
- training & employability support
- IT equipment & software
- Uniform or PPE
The Kickstart Scheme has the potential to be a really positive step towards getting more young people into employment. Businesses will be attracted to it by both the funding and the possibility to ‘give back’ to their local community by helping improve the life chances of young people in their area.
You can apply for a Kickstart Scheme grant by either applying online yourself or applying through a Kickstart gateway who is already working with the Kickstart Scheme. For further information visit: How the Kickstart Scheme works – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
