- Nearly half (47%) of 1625-year-olds say financial pressures
have prevented them from moving out of their parents' home,
rising to 54% for young people who experienced financial hardship
growing up
- Nearly half (47%) have delayed learning to drive, rising to
61% for young people who grew up in financial hardship
- Nearly half (45%) of young people say job opportunities are
poor in their local area, rising to 59% among young people who
experienced financial hardship
- Alarmingly, young people who experienced financial hardship
growing up are almost twice as likely to be NEET (27% compared
with 15%)
New research released today finds that financial hardship is
forcing far too many young people to put major life milestones
like moving out, learning to drive and buying a house on
hold.
Anti-poverty charity Trussell commissioned a survey of over 4,500
young people aged 16 25 across the UK and found that financial
pressures are delaying key steps towards independence and
limiting opportunities with young people who grew up in financial
hardship facing greater pressures.
The research found that almost half (47%) of young people have
had to delay moving out of their parents' home because of
financial pressures, rising to 54% for young people who
experienced financial hardship growing up.
Almost half (47%) said that financial pressures have delayed them
learning to drive, rising to 61% for young people who grew up in
financial hardship.
Meanwhile, more than half (55%) said financial pressures had
delayed them being able to buy a home rising to seven in ten
(70%) for young people who experienced financial hardship growing
up.
Alarmingly, the research also highlights how financial hardship
is locking young people out of opportunities to build the
financial security they need.
Young people who experienced financial hardship growing up are
almost twice as likely to
be not in education, employment or training
(NEET) as people who didn't experience hardship (27% compared
with 15%).
Some 43% of young people said that financial pressures had
delayed them progressing their careers, rising to 57% for people
who experienced financial hardship.
Nearly half (45%) of young people saying that job opportunities
are poor in their local area, rising to 59% of young people
who grew up in financial hardship.
The research also found that 43% of young people looking for
work think they will need to move elsewhere to find employment
but only a third who would need to move (34%) think they can
afford to do so.
55% of young people who experienced financial hardship said it
had a negative impact on their likelihood of going to university
or into other higher education or training, compared to 30% to
young people who did not grow up in financial hardship.
Helen Barnard, director of policy and research at
Trussell, said: Today's figures confirm
what food banks and communities across the UK see every day: that
too many young people are being held back because of financial
barriers that are out of their control.
Major milestones that previous generations often took for
granted - like moving out of home or learning to drive - have
become luxuries that are increasingly out of reach. At the same
time, young people are being locked out of work, as they face
limited job opportunities and cannot afford to move elsewhere to
find work.
"Young people who grew up in financial hardship
face the greatest barriers of all and we know these barriers can
shape people's lives for years to come, limiting access to
housing, education and employment.
Without better support, we risk a generation of young people
being weighed down by financial hardship and at risk of turning
to a food bank. The new Prime Minister has pledged to
'bring back hope'. Hope starts with security and opportunity.
That's why Trussell is calling for better employment support and
training opportunities, stronger financial security and improved
support with housing costs because every young person deserves a
fair start in life.
Sharne, 23, from Manchester, said: "So
many people my age have to hold back on learning to drive and
leaving home because it's too expensive. I don't know anyone my
age with a mortgage who didn't get help with a deposit from their
parents. For so many young people, the idea of starting a family
one day is out of the question because of how costly it is.
I've put everything into my studies to try and make a better
life for myself, but it's hard being in your early 20s today,
especially when you come from a low-income background. People
often assume young people have it easy - but the reality is that
many us are working ourselves into the ground just to get
by."
Anhelina, 21, based in Cardiff: For a
lot of young people like me, milestones like moving out or
learning to drive feel further away than ever. We're working,
studying, finding jobs, doing everything we can, yet rent and
everyday costs keep rising. Buying a home feels almost
unimaginable. I've caught myself wondering whether that kind of
security is simply no longer meant for people like me, and I know
I'm not alone.
More and more young people like me are speaking up about
having to delay our futures, and we need people to speak up for
us too. We need the new Prime Minister Andy to listen and make sure that the
chance to build a secure future doesn't become something only
previous generations could afford.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The research is based on:
- An online survey by Savanta on behalf of Trussell of
4,741 UK people aged 16-25. Fieldwork was undertaken from 15 30
June 2026. The figures have been weighted and are representative
of all UK people aged 16-25.
- Someone is defined as experiencing hardship growing up if
they sometimes or frequently did not have enough money to cover
their essential needs.
