DWP chief says struggling over-50s could deliver takeaways to earn extra cash

03 August 2023 , 08:54

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Older workers should consider taking on flexible work like becoming Deliveroo drivers, according to the Work and Pensions Secretary (Image: Getty Images)

Cash-strapped over-50s should ditch age-related stereotypes and consider flexible jobs like delivering takeaways, the Work and Pensions Secretary has said.

Tory welfare chief Mel Stride said older Brits should consider jobs "they might not have otherwise thought of" as ministers battle to get more people back to work after the pandemic. He made the comments on a visit to food delivery firm Deliveroo's London HQ, which has seen a 62% increase in riders aged over 50 since 2021.

But his comments were branded "out of touch" by critics. Lib Dem Treasury spokeswoman Sarah Olney said: "This tired, lacklustre Government crashed the economy and is out of ideas." Shadow Minister Justin Madders said: "I would suggest that if the Tories really wanted more people working in the gig economy they would do something to tackle the low pay and endemic insecurity in that sector."

Ministers are trying to get more people back to work after a rise in economic inactivity since the pandemic. Around 8.6 million people are "economically inactive", according to the Office for National Statistics - equivalent to one in five working adults. More than 3.4 million of them are over 50 but below retirement age.

It comes as the Living Wage Foundation warned today that more than six million people were in insecure work, with these workers "most affected by insecurity are those least well placed to manage its financial burdens”.

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Asked if over-50s should apply for jobs traditionally seen as being for younger people, Mr Stride told the Times: "There are loads of great opportunities out there for people and it's of course good for people to consider options they might not have otherwise thought of."

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride suggested older people should get on their bikes to earn extra cash (AFP via Getty Images)

He added: "What we're seeing here is the ability to log on and off any time you like, no requirement to have to do a certain number of hours over a certain period of time, which is driving huge opportunities... From an employer's point of view in a tight labour market, it's absolutely essential if you want to access all the available talent that you provide as flexible an offer as you can."

He added: “But I do think that we have a, should have a mission and do have a mission to try and open people's eyes to what their current situation is and what the opportunities are and how we can help them seize those opportunities.”

Mr Stride has previously hailed flexible working is "the way forward" and not "just for the over-50s but often for those who have disabilities". Pointing to newly introduced digital "mid-life MOTs" designed to help older workers with financial planning, health guidance and career skills, he said: "You really do need to sensibly stop, take where you are in life, and assess whether for example you've got enough money to get you through with the kind of lifestyle and living standards that you're expecting.

"We tend to think everything is going to continue roughly as it is and you'll always be able to find a job later on in life. I think it's always valuable just to take stock every now and again and have a look at that."

Mr Stride, 61, said he had no intention of retiring early. He said: "I'm very happy doing what I'm doing at the moment. Of course, as we know in politics , nothing is certain, so who knows where I'll be in many years' time - but I very much hope and aspire to be continuing to do this job, because it's the greatest job in the world."

Lib Dem Treasury spokeswoman Sarah Olney said: “If this Government thinks the best way to get over 50s in work is to tell them to get on their bikes then they’re even more out of touch than you could imagine. This tired, lacklustre Government crashed the economy and is out of ideas. Now it seems like ministers are just plucking ideas out of a hat instead of forming real policy. Perhaps we’ll see some Conservative MPs on their bikes after the next election.”

Labour peer Prem Sikka, a Professor of Accounting at the University of Sheffield and University of Essex, tweeted: "Tory Minister wants the over-50s to deliver takeaways. Patronises seniors and the disabled. By "flexible working", he means low wages, insecure employment. Look forward to Boris Johnson and Nadine Dorries doing takeaways, fruit-picking, fracking."

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Lizzy Buchan