Jobcentre Plus staff accused of poor service to older people

Jobcentre Plus advisers have been accused of discrimination against older jobseekers and should be given training to help deal with their specific needs, age campaigners said.

Figures published last week revealed the number of unemployed people aged over 50 had risen to 371,000 – a 44% increase in a year – while those out of work for between six and 12 months rose 71%.

The Age and Employment Network (TAEN) and charity Age UK claim that Jobcentre Plus staff have not have the right training to tackle rising unemployment among over-50s, and that tailored sessions on the requirements of older jobseekers must be added to advisers' training programmes.

They complain that advisers tended to focus on paper qualifications, which many older workers did not possess and call for Jobcentre Plus staff to be trained on the range of informal skills held by older jobseekers, and for more support to be given to preparing CVs and interview techniques.

Help for older jobseekers is available through Jobcentre Plus' New Deal 50+ scheme, but this service is not routinely offered to older workers as it has a limited budget. The service is being replaced by the Flexible New Deal.

TAEN chief executive Chris Ball comments that the training of New Deal 50+ advisers had been phased out. "The message is that New Deal 50+ has passed its sell-by date and is not the priority of Jobcentre Plus," he said.

Ball cited the example of one jobseeker who told TAEN: "The Jobcentre virtually told me to go away when I was made redundant at 61 and came to it looking for employment."

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said Jobcentre Plus advisers received 7.5 days induction training followed by seven days personal adviser-specific learning. In the first three months of employment, advisers also undergo seven days of job-specific training.

A DWP spokeswoman said: "Jobcentre Plus is providing real help for its customers. It continually assesses the training needs of staff and the service needs of its customers." In other words no acceptance of the criticisms that many older workers voice when they attend.

Free cycling courses

Free cycling courses are being offered to people over 50 in York as part of Age Concern’s Fit As A Fiddle project. Similar sessions took place earlier this year and proved a success. The scheme, funded by the Big Lottery, includes six free cycling courses this month and next month in Acomb, Haxby, Fulford, New Earswick, Rawcliffe and Rowntree Park.

The free cycling courses will cover basic bike maintenance, cycling training and confidence and a led cycle ride by qualified instructors in the last week. They are aimed at beginners but those with experience can join as well.

The first course starts at York RI in New Lane, Acomb, tomorrow, at 11.30am.
City of York Council's sport and active leisure team joined forces with Age Concern to offer York residents aged 50 and over the chance to try a range of different activities for free.

The project - 'Fit as a Fiddle' - has been designed to make people over 50 more aware of the physical activity opportunities available across the city. Sessions earlier this year included line dancing, chair based exercise classes, pilates, tai chi, fun and easy aerobics, yoga, square dancing, country dancing, bowling, petanque, archery and salsa.

After each session participants will be informed of where they can continue to participate in the sport if they wish to.

For more information telephone Fit As A Fiddle co-ordinator for Age Concern Katie Ellis on 01904 553440 or email katie.ellis@york.gov.

Over 50's using social media more and more

Experian Hitwise came to these conclusions by sampling f 10 million U.S. Internet users to measure the online traffic to each social network.

The growth on social networks is, at least in part, being fueled by older users flocking to the sites like Facebook and Twitter. Experian Hitwise found that the 55-plus demographic on Facebook now comprises 13.53 percent of users, a growth of 108 percent from September 2008. Meanwhile, users between the ages of 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 still comprise the largest segment of users on Facebook at 26.96 percent and 23.31 percent, respectively.

MySpace also saw growth in the 55-and-up demographic, growing 26 percent to 6.84 percent over the past year. However, the older social network saw a 13 percent decline in users ages 18 to 24. The 25 to 34 demographic grew 12 percent to comprise 22.43 percent of users.

Portfolio Careers

Just to remind you that the new book that I wrote with Katie Ledger on Portfolio Careers is out this Thursday. Also to remind you that research done on this topic states that the 2 age groups most interested in this topic are the under 25's and the over 60's. Look at our new website on this to learn more. www.portfoliocareers.net

Good deal on The Rainbow Years

Learndirect are revamping the fiftyforward.co.uk website. Its new address is www.learndirect.co.uk/fiftyforward. Why are we telling you this? Because they are offering a really good price for The Rainbow Years:The Pluses of Being 50 +. If you buy from them you can get it for £9 which is cheaper than anywhere else that we have seen.

What do the over 50's use their mobiles for?

Apparently for taking photos - well certainly when they are on holiday.

This is according to a new poll by Saga Holidays, which revealed that the over-50 age group has become more likely than ever to use technology such as camera phones and mp3 players while on an overseas holiday.

Over half (60 percent) of over-50s going on holiday said they had camera phones which they planned on taking abroad.

Chief executive of Saga Holidays Susan Hooper explained that phone cameras will become a "holiday packing essential" as technology improves further.

"The over-50s have really embraced new technology and I'm sure we will be seeing some of our customers updating their Facebook or blog pages via their handheld soon," she said.

It was also revealed one in 20 over-50s were planning on using their camera phone as much, or more than, their regular camera.

A separate Saga poll recently revealed that the over-50s had become more inclined to experience new cultures than have a beach holiday.

Most Babies Born Today Will Live 100 Years, Scientists Say

Most babies born in rich countries this century will eventually make it to their 100th birthday, new research says. Danish experts say that since the 20th century, people in developed countries are living about three decades longer than in the past. Surprisingly, the trend shows little sign of slowing down.

In an article published Friday in the medical journal Lancet, the researchers write that the process of aging may be "modifiable."

James Vaupel of the Max Planck Institute in Germany and colleagues in Denmark examined studies published globally in 2004-2005 on numerous issues related to aging. They found life expectancy is increasing steadily in most countries, even beyond the limits of what scientists first thought possible. In Japan, for instance, which has the world's longest life expectancy, more than half of the country's 80-year-old women are expected to live to 90.

"Improvements in health care are leading to ever slowing rates of aging, challenging the idea that there is a fixed ceiling to human longevity," said David Gems, an aging expert at University College London. Gems was not connected to the research, and is studying drugs that can lengthen the life span of mice, which may one day have applications for people.

"Laboratory studies of mice, including our own, demonstrate that if you slow aging even just a little, it has a strong protective effect," he said. "A pill that slowed aging could provide protection against the whole gamut of aging-related diseases."

While illnesses affecting the elderly like heart disease, cancer and diabetes are rising, advances in medical treatment are also making it possible for them to remain active for longer. The obesity epidemic, however, may complicate matters. Extra weight makes people more susceptible to diseases and may increase their risk of dying.

In the U.S., data from 1982 to 2000 showed a major drop in illness and disability among the elderly, though that has now begun to reverse, probably linked to the rise in obesity.

The graying population will slowly radically transform society, and retirement ages may soon be pushed back, said Richard Suzman, an aging expert at the U.S. National Institute on Aging.

"We are within five to 10 years of a watershed event where there will be more people on earth over 65 than there under five," he said. "Those extra years need to be financed somehow and we need to start thinking about it now."

Third age entrepreneurs

NESTA has just published a fascinating new report on older entrepreneurs. We already know that 50+ entrepreneurs overall are less likely to have their businesses fail than younger entrepreneurs. This study examines the differences between the growth and more lifestyle enterprises set up by the over 50's. Download it by following the hyperlink above.

Called to account?

Whilst basking in the pluses of being 50+ I was reminded last week that our generation are not universally admired or approved of. Just reflect on this letter published in the Guardian of Thursday 24th September 2009;

'How is it that your generation feels it can continue to shaft my generation (CBI advises raising university fees to £5,000 a year to tackle funding crisis, September 21)? I am 23, and have many friends who are unemployed due to an economic crisis caused by your generation. We can't afford houses as your generation preferred anything rather than burst the bubble. We will have no oil, and will face a climate crisis that your generation has continually refused to fix. And now your generation is proposing raising university tuition fees due to a funding crisis which you caused.

I have an alternative suggestion. Instead of increasing the already huge debt that most students face when leaving university, how about we place a windfall tax on the generation that received funding while in further education? How about we make you pay for your university funding crisis, by making you pay the equivalent loan that we have had to pay – with interest?

Now, it's unfair that it should be based on the average student loan – after all, things were cheaper – but then you're going to have to pay your grant back as well. So, let's give you the average £15,000 loan, apply the RPI from the 25 years since you graduated. That's no interest while you're at university, as we're feeling kind. That comes to £373,515. Payable tomorrow.

Maybe this will force some of you off the property ladder, bringing down house prices. You'll have to spend less and economise; forget your patio heater. And finally, maybe it will make you take some responsibility for what you've done. You've made this mess, so you can pay to clear it up.

George Lewkowicz London

Well said George! You will be a brilliant addition to the 'grumpy old men' in 50 years time!

How we really forgotten how to have sex?

Not according to all the research we have come across, but clearly Manchester Council think that its older citizens need some tips. There has been an uproar about their spending £8k of council tax money on producing an illustrated 47-page booklet which offers tips for those seeking to spice up their marriage or looking for new love after divorce.The Daily Mail, along with other media are having a ball with this - a good start to International Older Person's Day - which is today. Those of us living in Yorkshire of course know that on this side of the pennines we don't need this kind of help!