Emily Andrews

Creating fair access to work for people in their 50s & 60s @ageing_better. Ex @instituteforgov, very ex-teacher. PhD Victorian dementia. Likes charts AND poems.

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

Alright - let’s talk 80% employment target. 🎯

Blair wanted to do it, but the closest he got was 73%. The closest we’ve got in the last 160 years is 76% - on the eve of the pandemic.

So - how can the new Government get there?

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

@AndrewDSPhil We think this is Universal Support

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

Seen some commentary about how academic this Board is.

I'd put in a bid for @ersa_news to be on there. If we're serious about engaging more ppl in services, we need the smaller providers who know how to do outreach better than anyone.

(and someone from @Ageing_Better obvs)

[Department for Work and Pensions @DWPgovuk]

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall met with experts on the new Labour Market Advisory Board the first time yesterday

The Board will develop new ideas and initiatives for consideration, to bring down the levels of economic inactivity

Find out more https://t.co/vOZEi9hqmV

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

Having only just started to re-engage with twitter, I've hopped on over to the blue place this morning, and it really is better.

So, if anyone is still here...you can find me over there. Same handle.

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

Missing person: may be in London

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

We @Ageing_Better think @DWPgovuk needs to reform our social security system, so it better matches the reality of ageing in the UK in the 21st century.

That means reviewing the way they approach people in their 60s. Read more here: https://t.co/U3kolGtBJi

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

Really enjoyed this piece.

There is no longer a 'retirement' age - but the State still draws a clear line between 'working age' and 'pensioners'.

This doesn't reflect reality. Lots of people pre-State Pension Age can't work; and lots of people post-SPA do/need to.

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

As Dr Ferdous notes, replacing 'chronological age' with 'functional age' isn't entirely feasible (from an administrative perspective, at least).

But we can definitely do better.

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

I am looking forward to hearing the Government's plans to increase Pension Credit uptake, to ensure that this move doesn't push the poorest people into even further poverty.

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

Maybe making those people *even poorer* will push them towards claiming (thus, in fact, making them better off than they would have been).

@IndependentAge suggests that the feeling of 'not being poor enough' is a major factor in not claiming. Alongside stigma, of course.

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

Some are saying Winter Fuel Payments will now only go into the pockets of ppl who need it.

The problem is - it will miss a lot of them. 1.2 million who are eligible for Pension Credit don't claim. Uptake has remained stubbornly low, despite CoL crisis.

https://t.co/fsEYwua0gT

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

For those not familiar with AFCs:

https://t.co/uaTkyHrMTf

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

This is what I love about the Age Friendly Communities movement.

It harnesses the power of people working inside/with #localgov who view a system level approach to ageing as a way to solve their problems.

And then supports them in a joyful, practical, bottom-up way.

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

Liz Kendall’s ideas have the potential to make things better for 50+ workers and jobseekers. Now we’ve got to go from potential to plans!

And here is a blueprint the Gvt can work from: https://t.co/U3kolGtBJi

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

Alright - let’s talk 80% employment target. 🎯

Blair wanted to do it, but the closest he got was 73%. The closest we’ve got in the last 160 years is 76% - on the eve of the pandemic.

So - how can the new Government get there?

[Emily Andrews @Emilyishness]

The State Pension Age is set to rise to 67 before the end of this Parliament.

The highest adult poverty rate is among ppl age 60-SPA.

If we don’t do anything to make work more accessible for more of us as we age, that ⬆️ will just prolong many people’s misery.