Joe Robertson: Ageing doesn’t mean obsolete – we must unlock the power of the over-50s

Joe Robertson is Conservative MP for Isle of Wight East and a former solicitor

The Isle of Wight is the ‘Jewel of the South’. From its iconic Needles and breathtaking landscapes with UNESCO Biosphere status, to our great contribution in the defence and creative industries, to the production of the world’s best tomatoes and garlic, our Island is a huge asset for the country.

However, the community I am privileged to represent is changing. Our population is ageing, racing decades ahead of everywhere else demographically. We offer a glimpse into the challenges and opportunities that come with an ageing population – a crystal ball through which the rest of Britain can see its future.

This reality brings with it acute pressures on public services, particularly on our social care system. Yet there is also great strength in age – decades of experience, knowledge, and insight that individuals and, in turn, businesses can draw on. Every day, I see this value in action.

Older residents continue to make vital contributions to our economy and community.

That is why I am so concerned by new findings from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), whose latest report, Midlife Mission, suggests this expertise is leaking out of the labour market at an alarming pace.

The CSJ found that the number of out-of-work benefit claimants aged over 50 has risen by 600,000 over the past five years, reaching almost two million in November last year, up from 1.4 million before the pandemic. And among 50–64-year-olds who are economically inactive, 1.3 million cite long-term sickness – up more than 20 per cent since 2015. While ageing inevitably brings greater health challenges, the system is doing too little to keep this age group connected to the world of work.

It shouldn’t be taboo to ask the question: is our health and welfare system too quick to write older people off?

The CSJ’s report suggests that it is. Central to this is the current use of “fit notes” – the forms issued by GPs when patients report a work-impacting sickness. Last year, a staggering 93 per cent of fit notes stated patients were ‘not fit to work’, with only 7 per cent suggesting a person ‘may be fit for work’ with adjustments. This matters because fit notes are a gateway out of work, too often with little opportunity to return.

Most GPs are too thinly spread to specialise in occupational health, without the time or tools to recommend appropriate, practical adjustments that would allow people to remain in employment. People who might stay in work, or return sooner, with the right support are instead being quietly moved out of the workforce. I see the valuable contributions made by older people in my constituency each day. I also speak to those who want to work, but are nervous about re-skilling, or fear that employers would not want to hire them.

This is a missed economic opportunity, but it’s also a moral imperative. We know that being out of work or meaningful activity is associated with worse health and wellbeing outcomes. As the CSJ’s report says, a good job “keeps us mentally and physically fit, connects us to other people, and creates both identity and purpose.” Indeed, ONS analysis confirms that being unemployed or inactive due to long-term sickness reduces life satisfaction.

But there are potential solutions.

The CSJ proposes a National Work & Health Service to take pressure off GPs and expand back to work help. Building on the promising WorkWell pilots in Greater Manchester, Cornwall and South Yorkshire, this service would provide a single point of access for employment and health support. Crucially, it would be staffed by professionals trained to maximise people’s potential, rather than write them off.

If we do not act, we risk letting the cost of working-age sickness and disability benefits rise by another £25 billion by 2029–30. But more importantly, we risk losing the invaluable contribution of people who still have so much to offer and condemning them to worse life outcomes without the dignity and satisfaction that comes with good work.

On the Isle of Wight, 99.8 per cent of businesses are SMEs.

These firms – like their counterparts across the UK – would benefit enormously from the experience, reliability and institutional memory that older workers bring. A more personalised, supportive system for helping people stay in work would be both fairer and smarter, benefitting the economy – on the Island first, and for the rest of the country not long after.