Changes are coming in to help people increase their income
The DWP has issued a statement about sweeping changes affecting people in a certain age group. DWP minister Diana Johnson spoke about changes coming in that could affect people’s income.
The update came after Reform UK MP Lee Anderson asked a written question in Parliament about what action is being taken “to help improve employment opportunities for older people”. Ms Johnson provided a response from the Government. She said: “Work helps everyone play active and fulfilling roles in society while 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 went on to explain what help is available for this group, which would include anyone born before 1976.
Ms Johnson said: “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 spoke about the other support on offer: “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 want 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 want to factor in how much you will get with the state pension.
The age you can access your private pensions is currently 55, although this is increasing to 57 from April 2028. Britons face a longer wait to claim their state pension, which you can apply for when you reach the age of 66.
The access age is soon increasing, moving up gradually from April 2026, to reach 67 by April 2028. The full new state pension currently pays £230.25 a week, and you typically need 35 years of National Insurance contributions to get this amount.
Payments go up each April in line with the triple lock, which will boost payments by 4.8 percent 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.
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