Universities tell students to apply for benefits from the day their course ends

One prominent university even advised graduates to apply for welfare support even when they had a "job lined up in a few weeks" or were still living with their parents.

Another urged those leaving higher education to start the application process weeks before graduation to avoid delays in receiving payments.

The revelations have raised concerns that universities are steering young people toward welfare dependency rather than preparing them for work.

King's College London, a Russell Group institution, published a blog post on post-university life telling students they "shouldn't feel bad" about claiming universal credit or jobseeker's allowance.

The guidance said: "As a graduate, these benefits are in place to help you transition from full-time study to work, even if you are living at home or have [a] job lined up in a few weeks. This is an important safety net, which you should claim just in case anything changes."

The University of Stirling's website told students they could submit claims "from the day after your official course end date."

The University of Stirling's website told students they could submit claims 'from the day after your official course end date'

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Loughborough University's financial advice page for departing students was equally direct, telling them: "As a general rule, do not delay in making any claim for benefits."

The university even specified a date in June from which this year's cohort would become eligible.

Britain is experiencing its most severe youth unemployment crisis in a generation, with the graduate jobs market at a historic low.

The unemployment rate among 16-to-24-year-olds climbed to 16.4 per cent in the three months to July, reaching its highest point in over a decade.

Data from recruitment platform Adzuna revealed that just 8,383 positions aimed at university leavers were posted in July, a 45 per cent decline compared with the previous year and the weakest figure since tracking began in 2016.

Shadow education secretary Laura Trott branded the university guidance "madness," saying: "Universities should set young people up for the world of work, not fast-track people to a life on benefits."

She warned that too many graduates were moving straight onto welfare, further inflating the taxpayer burden.

Nick Hillman, of the Higher Education Policy Institute, defended graduates' right to access the welfare system.

He told the Telegraph: "Higher education works out for most people most of the time, but that does not mean that all new graduates are able to walk straight into well-paid work."

He noted that final-year maintenance loans were often smaller than students expected, leaving many without enough to bridge the gap between studying and starting work.

King's College London told students they 'shouldn't feel bad' about claiming Universal Credit or Jobseeker's Allowance

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A King's College London spokesman told the Telegraph: "We are proud of our world-leading employment rates for graduates, 86pc of whom are in highly skilled employment or study 15 months after graduation.

"For a small number of our students who do not have savings or alternative means of support, we offer advice on how to seek additional assistance whilst they look for work - as is our duty of care."

The Conservatives previously committed to eliminating interest on Plan 2 student loans and doubling apprenticeship numbers.

GB News has approached King's College London, Loughborough University, and the University of Stirling for comment.