Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the reasons for trends in long-term unemployment among people over 50.

The number of people aged 50-64 in work has risen by over 300,000 in the last year. This is likely to reflect the recovery in the economy together with the effect of welfare reform and the equalisation of state pension age. There are nearly 150,000 fewer people aged 50-64 without a job than a year ago. Some of this has been reflected in lower economic inactivity, as more people enter or remain in the labour force, but unemployment and long-term unemployment have also fallen on the year.

On 13 June 2014, the DWP published Fuller Working Lives - A Framework for Action

(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fuller-working-lives-a-framework-for-action) which explains how working longer can benefit individuals, businesses, society and the economy. It sets out a number of new actions to help people have fuller working lives. A Business Champion for older workers has also been appointed, tasked with making the case for older workers within the business community and challenging outdated perceptions.