Work and Pensions written question – answered at on 12 June 2014.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated relating to age discrimination in (i) the work place and (ii) Jobcentre Plus.
The Department has not commissioned any research in the last two years specifically on age discrimination.
(i) Previous research relating to age discrimination in the work place includes “Attitudes to age in Britain 2010/11”:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/214361/ihr7.pdf and “Second Survey on employers’ policies, practices and preferences relating to age, 2010”:
This research was commissioned by the Department as part of wider research into the removal of the Default Retirement Age, including “Default Retirement Age– employer qualitative research”:
The Default Retirement Age was abolished in 2011, meaning most people can now retire when the time is right for them. Employers can now only set a fixed retirement age where it can be objectively justified in their particular circumstances, but this is open to challenge at tribunal.
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(ii) Relevant departmental evaluations on this issue concerning Jobcentre Plus include “How ready is Jobcentre Plus to help people in their 60s to find work?”:
Also, where possible surveys of benefit claimants are broken down by age, for example “The Jobcentre Plus Offer: Final evaluation report”:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/261656/rrep852.pdf
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George Morley
Posted on 13 Jun 2014 4:37 pm (Report this annotation)
It is no surprise to see the surveys listed here which the Minister quotes in answer to David Crausby but when the Pensions Bill was passing through parliament, during the Scrutiny phase, he totally dismissed the report by the Oxford Economics in regard to the benefit to be gained by the removal of clause 20 which denies a minority of pensioners their rightful annual state pension increases. The very fact that these pensioners are not using the NHS or receiving the many benefits available to the UK resident pensioners thereby saving an estimated GBP7,000 per pensioner and ultimately GBP3,500 if pension parity is restored to them is totally ignored.
Double standards appear to be the policy when the ex-patriot is mentioned and this freezing policy is also age discrimination.
The Minister knows full well that this unacceptable and immoral issue will be a thorn in the side for every government from now on and one wonders how much is the cost of defending this injustice by the employment of so many people to make payments when the uprating is granted due to a pensioners going to an 'unfrozen' country, not to mention the many,many enquiries because of this discriminative policy.
Maintaining the status quo is costing the government and the pensioner and this abuse is contrary to the many agreements signed to stop discrimination. The Charter of the Commonwealth in particular comes to mind because the ink is still wet.
Mt Swire said only a couple of days ago in this house that "The UK underlined the need for the Commonwealth and its members to adhere to the values and principles in the Commonwealth Charter at all times".
When is the Minister going to be honest and play his true part as Pensions Minister and look after ALL of the pensioners and not just the majority 96% ?