[Cherie]

People in their 50s who have left work and will not come back is a “big worry area”, an employment minister has said.

Mid-lifers who have taken early retirement during the pandemic are now “desperately” needed back in employment, according to Victoria Prentis, a minister of state at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

She went on to say that just because people have family responsibilities such as looking after children or elderly parents it “doesn’t mean we can’t work” and it “doesn’t mean we can’t work full time”.

Her remarks come as the Government prepares to launch a fresh push to get the over-50s back into employment.

Speaking at a fringe event on family values at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, she said companies must do more to encourage mid-lifers to return to work.

Left the workforce after Covid
“Our big worry area – in DWP at the moment we have many – but one of them is people in their 50s who have left the workforce after Covid and will not come back,” Ms Prentis said.

“And we need their skills, we need their experience – with the tightness of the labour market, we desperately need them back into work.”

The Office for National Statistics found late last year that there were 180,000 fewer over-50s in work than before the pandemic.

Last September, 362,000 over-50s were unemployed and 3.5 million 50-64-year-olds were economically inactive.

The cheek of her, it's not up to her to decide how people live their lives

[arista]

Yes USA and UK
both have this,

[bitontheslide]

most people who make that decision wont reverse it

[arista]

Victoria Prentis MP

DAB Radio behind her

[joeysteele]

Victoria Prentis is not hot on communication skills.
Finds it difficult to cover her ignorance.

[Cherie]

One of the positives of covid is that it gave people the chance to think about their lives if people have made the decision to change their lives they wont go back like BOTs says, unless their finances force them to

[Gusto Brunt]

What I find staggering is I know a guy who's 63, who has some difficulty walking long distances to let's say bus stops because he has no transport of his own.

He is unemployed but he's under the same pressure to find work as anyone who is in their 20s or 30s. It's quite ridiculous.

On one occasion he was told to go on a computer course than involved changing three buses to get there. It would actually take him about two hours to get there in the morning. Set out his house at 6.30am. He was told he MUST go on this course, or lose some of his benefit. He appealed and the benefits agency reluctantly backed down so he didn't have to go on the course. But it's crazy.

About 10 years ago, being a man and 63 years old meant you were just 2 years off retiring - 60 for women.

[arista]

[What I find staggering is I know a guy who's 63,
who has some difficulty walking long distances
to let's say bus stops because
he has no transport of his own.

He is unemployed but he's under the same
pressure to find work as anyone who is in
their 20s or 30s. It's quite ridiculous.]


No
it is Not Gusto

A Company can take a Mega Box of Letters
to be put together
one by one.


He could earn a good sum.


They like Older able workers at home.

[Gusto Brunt]

Originally Posted by arista

[What I find staggering is I know a guy who's 63,
who has some difficulty walking long distances
to let's say bus stops because
he has no transport of his own.

He is unemployed but he's under the same
pressure to find work as anyone who is in
their 20s or 30s. It's quite ridiculous.]


No
it is Not Gusto

A Company can take a Mega Box of Letters
to be put together
one by one.


He could earn a good sum.


They like Older able workers at home.

Err, not sure I understand your reply.

All I was saying that no-one who's 63 should be under pressure to find work by going on courses. Put younger people under pressure, yes!

If someone wants to live off Uiversal Credit at that age, fine. If they can get work, yes, but don't say they will cut benefit if he doesn't.

[hijaxers]

Originally Posted by Cherie

People in their 50s who have left work and will not come back is a “big worry area”, an employment minister has said.

Mid-lifers who have taken early retirement during the pandemic are now “desperately” needed back in employment, according to Victoria Prentis, a minister of state at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

She went on to say that just because people have family responsibilities such as looking after children or elderly parents it “doesn’t mean we can’t work” and it “doesn’t mean we can’t work full time”.

Her remarks come as the Government prepares to launch a fresh push to get the over-50s back into employment.

Speaking at a fringe event on family values at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, she said companies must do more to encourage mid-lifers to return to work.

Left the workforce after Covid
“Our big worry area – in DWP at the moment we have many – but one of them is people in their 50s who have left the workforce after Covid and will not come back,” Ms Prentis said.

“And we need their skills, we need their experience – with the tightness of the labour market, we desperately need them back into work.”

The Office for National Statistics found late last year that there were 180,000 fewer over-50s in work than before the pandemic.

Last September, 362,000 over-50s were unemployed and 3.5 million 50-64-year-olds were economically inactive.

The cheek of her, it's not up to her to decide how people live their lives

Well Cherie Grim has got an interview tomorrow going back to engineering. Also after keeping getting cancelled for PIP tribunal, thats come for next week, if he wins that will be backdated 18mths so watch this space.....