Oral Answers to Questions

Henry Smith Excerpts

Monday 11th July 2016 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Crabb]

I hear the hon. Lady’s point, but it is important not to infer too many causal links between the factors that she is raising, and she needs to be extremely careful in how she describes those cases at the Dispatch Box. I am happy to discuss the matter with her on another occasion.

[Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)]

T2. What support is my right hon. Friend’s Department offering to those in later middle age and older who are seeking work?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr Shailesh Vara)]

My hon. Friend raises a very good point. We are doing a number of things in this area. For example, as well as access to a full Jobcentre Plus offer of personalised support, the Department for Work and Pensions introduced older claimant champions in each of the seven Jobcentre Plus groups to work with work coaches within jobcentres to raise the profile of older workers, highlight the benefit of employing older jobseekers and share good practice.