PETITIONRejectedPetition · petition.parliament.uk

Allow University Graduates Access To Universal Credit Without Added Barriers

Thousands of UK graduates face harsh realities in 2025. Despite skills and ambition, 12.7% over 96,000 struggle with jobs demanding years of experience. Unpaid roles, underemployment and ineligibility for Universal Credit leaves them without financial support, highlighting a systemic failure.

Last fetched 19 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk

Signatures

signatures

Government response threshold (10,000) · 21/10,000

Debate threshold (100,000) · 21/100,000

Petition progress2 events · Aug – Sept 2025

15 SEPT 2025
Petition rejected
no-action
Petitions need to call on the Government or Parliament to take a specific action. We're not sure exactly what you'd like the Government or Parliament to do. Graduates are already eligible to claim Universal Credit as long as they: live in the UK; are aged 18 or over; are under State Pension age; and have £16,000 or less in money, savings and investments. You can find more information about eligibility to claim Universal Credit here: https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/eligibility You could start a new petition explaining clearly what you would like the Government or Parliament to do.
25 AUG 2025
Petition created

Background

This issue isn’t just about individuals, it’s a generation and economy at risk. Graduates can’t afford to live or build careers, causing wasted talent, harming UK productivity, innovation, and societal health. We demand automatic Universal Credit for job-seeking grads, tailored job support, clear hiring standards, and fair-paid career programs. Graduates seek dignity and opportunity; the government must act now.