Research suggests that today's youth are taking longer to complete the transition to adulthood. Twenty-five years ago, young people had more of a traditional transition model, whereas today, the transition seems somewhat fractured. Changes in education and the benefit system may be responsible for the altered transition state among today's youth (Keep, 2011), a hypothesis that will be explored in more detail. Therefore, this essay will explore youth transition and examine how restructuring of policies and legislations has affected youth transition to adulthood. Furthermore, we will see if these changes are responsible for the deterioration of the traditional transition model. Additionally, how political ideologies and perspectives have changed factors such as education, employment, housing, and social benefits will be examined. Once a full explanation has been provided; the fundamental question that must be answered is this: Are today's adolescents in difficulty or independent? “Definitions of ‘youth’ in Western societies generally refer to the stage of life between childhood and adulthood, the period of transition from dependence to independence” (Kehily, 2007). The age of this transition can be best defined by the House of Commons as starting at 16 and ending at 24 (2013). This transition from youth to adulthood has changed considerably in recent years; the traditional norms and values ​​that young people once followed are no longer respected or easy to achieve. Today's young people therefore have very different lifestyles and expectations; adolescents take longer to complete their transition to adulthood. Twenty-five years ago, traditional standards we...... middle of paper ......qualifications. Internships take place on a voluntary basis and travel and childcare costs are covered. These and other policies were put in place by the Youth Contract developed by the House of Commons; in theory, this will ensure that young people have access to all available resources to help them find employment or a place in education (Mizra-Davies, 2103). /WP108.pdf used on 27/11/13 http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/youth-divide-diverging-paths-adulthood accessed on 22/11/13 "Understanding youth: perspectives, identities and Practices: Perspectives, Identities and Practices (Published in association with The Open University)" (Paperback) by Mary Jane Kehily page 3 sage publications, London James Mirza-Davies, Economic Policy and Statistics, Youth Contract, The House of Commons 2013