Long-term Unemployment (Older People)

Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions – in the House of Commons at 2:30 pm on 8 December 2014.

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Photo of Sandra Osborne Sandra Osborne Labour, Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock 2:30, 8 December 2014

What steps he plans to take to support older people experiencing long-term unemployment.

Photo of Steve Webb Steve Webb The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

We have taken a range of steps. Most recently, in last week’s autumn statement, we announced a new pilot that will test how we support older claimants to help them return to work. It will benefit 3,000 older claimants whose age is a barrier to their finding work.

Photo of Sandra Osborne Sandra Osborne Labour, Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock

Why does the Work programme fail the over-50s so badly, and why has it taken the Government more than three years even to begin to do anything about that?

Photo of Steve Webb Steve Webb The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

On the contrary, the labour market performance of older workers has been among the best during the last four years. During a period of slow economic growth, older workers actually did the best. Nevertheless, we are not complacent, hence the new pilots that I announced last week.