DWP minister Diana Johnson has announced employment support measures for workers over 50, including 50PLUS Champions and the Midlife MOT service.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued a statement about significant changes impacting people within a particular age bracket. DWP minister Diana Johnson discussed upcoming changes that could influence people’s earnings.
The announcement followed a written parliamentary question from Reform UK MP Lee Anderson concerning what measures are being implemented “to help improve employment opportunities for older people”. Ms Johnson delivered the Government’s reply.
She said: “Work helps everyone play active and fulfilling roles in society whilst building financial security for retirement, and we recognise the wealth of skills and experience that older workers bring both to the workplace and the economy.
“We are committed to supporting workers over the age of 50 through a wide-ranging strategy that promotes age-inclusive employment practices, flexible working, and progression and career development.” She proceeded to outline the assistance available for anyone over this age, including anyone born prior to 1976, reports the Mirror.
Ms Johnson added: “We have a dedicated offer for older workers within jobcentres, including our 50PLUS Champions who provide a critical layer of support to ensure the needs of older jobseekers are met. We also offer a Midlife MOT, which helps people to review their health, finances and skills and signpost to suitable support.”
The Midlife MOT is a Government service available to people aged 45 to 65. It provides resources to help you think about your career, health and finances. On the money side, the service can help you budget for your retirement and look at what benefits you may be able to claim, such as Universal Credit or the state pension.
Increasing earnings
Ms Johnson also spoke about other support on offer. She said: “Our employer and partnership teams in jobcentres work with a range of employers and partners to enhance the skills and employment support available locally for customers.”
Looking ahead, the minister also spoke about what further help is being rolled out for older workers. She said: “As part of our plans to Get Britain working and create a new jobs and careers service, we are committed to reforming employment support to ensure it is inclusive and meets the needs of our customers.
“We are considering the support we offer to those aged 50 and over so that they can access support to find good, meaningful work, and help them progress in work or increase their earnings.”
You may wish to check what benefits you can claim using an online benefits calculator. You could try using the one on the Turn2us website.
When planning for your later life, you may wish to factor in how much you will receive with the state pension. The age at which you can access your private pensions is currently 55, though this is set to rise to 57 from April 2028.
Britons face a longer wait to claim their state pension, which becomes available when you reach 66. This access age is rising soon, increasing gradually from April 2026 to reach 67 by April 2028.
The full new state pension currently provides £230.25 a week, and you typically require 35 years of National Insurance contributions to receive this amount.
Payments increase each April in line with the triple lock, which will raise payments by 4.8% this April. You can check how much state pension you are on track to receive using the state pension forecast tool on the Government website.
