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 adequacy of the (a) financial and (b) other support manual workers aged over 50 years old will receive to help them to work until they reach the proposed increased state pension age.

The Government is committed to supporting people aged 50 and over to remain in and or return to the labour market. Universal Credit is replacing six benefits with a single payment designed to incentivise working and earning more. With none of the cliff edges of the old system and a smooth taper that reduces income at a predictable rate as earnings increase, people can be confident that they will be better off in work and earning more. And as of April this year the taper has been made more generous so people can keep more of their earnings, benefitting three million working families.

Everyone that claims Universal Credit will get targeted, personalised and work focussed support from a work coach The Department aims to support claimants with the same Work Coach throughout the duration of their Universal Credit claim, meaning claimants can build a relationship with their Work Coach.

To tackle outdated perceptions about older workers the Government has announced the appointment of the Business In The Community (BITC) Age at Work leadership team led by Andy Briggs, CEO of Aviva UK Life and Chairman of Global Life as Business Champion for Older Workers, to spearhead the Government’s work to support employers to retain, retrain and recruitment older workers. The team will actively promote the benefits of older workers to employers across England – influencing them both strategically and in terms of practical advice.

The Government also published a new strategy ‘Fuller Working Lives: A Partnership Approach’ on 2^nd February. The Strategy is crucially led by employers, but also sets out the case for action by individuals, and the role of Government in supporting them in planning their careers and their approach to retirement. The Strategy and supporting evidence base are available at the attached web address: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fuller-working-lives-a-partnership-approach