The Shadow Employment Minister, Stephen Timms, responding to Esther McVey’s plans to help the out of work over-50s, said:

“This is a belated recognition by ministers that - as Labour has been pointing out - their Work Programme has been hopeless for older workers. The latest figures show six per cent of people aged over 60, and 12 per cent of people aged 55-59, have found a job through the Work Programme.

“Labour will devolve the Work Programme to make it more responsive to the needs of older people and we’ll introduce a Compulsory Jobs Guarantee to ensure that older jobseekers who are long-term unemployed are guaranteed the offer of a job.”

Ends.