Employment Schemes: Older People
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of employment support available to jobseekers aged over 50, including access to tailored guidance and skills programmes.
Answered by Dame Diana Johnson
DWP provides a range of policies that deliver enhanced support to jobseekers over 50 years old. The “50PLUS” package includes access to additional work coach appointment time, access to free training such as Skills Bootcamps, careers advice, Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP); local and national skills offers and access to the DWP Midlife MOT group sessions and the on-line DWP Midlife MOT website, both of which provide help with issues around health, finances, work and pensions. 50PLUS Champions are also embedded within Jobcentres to strengthen the support available for older claimants.
A synthesis of evidence was published on 28 May 2026 (Evaluation evidence from policies targeted at claimants aged 50 plus - GOV.UK) which includes evaluation findings on the Evaluation of the Additional Work Coach Time, 50PLUS Champions and the DWP Digital Midlife MOT website.
The Private Sector Midlife MOT pilots, as well as the JobCentre Plus Midlife MOT’s have also had evaluations (Private Sector Midlife MOT pilots, Jobcentre Plus Midlife MOT).
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