The Department for Work and Pensions has introduced more training to help personal advisers understand some of the detailed issues facing the over-50s.

The additional training results from research commissioned by the DWP which compared interactions between personal advisers and older and younger clients in Work Focused Interviews (WFIs) and found evidence of variation by client age, predominantly in the New Jobseeker Interviews.

In interviews with clients aged over 50, advisers:

• were more likely to agree fewer job goals
• conducted fewer assisted job searches and job submissions
• tended to give ‘softer’ explanations of the requirement to evidence job search activity.

In New Jobseeker Interviews and initial Incapacity Benefit WFIs there was some evidence to suggest that individual advisers modified their approaches when meeting older or younger clients. Differences observed included:

• weekly job search activity requirements were more minimal for JSA older clients
• there was a stronger balance of emphasis on return to work when giving initial explanations of WFIs to younger IB clients
• Return to work was treated as a less definite possibility for older IB clients.

Where age related differences were apparent, these tended to emerge at age 25 years and above, or with clients aged 40 and above rather than a clear distinction above/below age 50 years.

The report identified a number of policy implications:

• Consider whether there are aspects of the WFI process which might be appropriately and effectively tailored to different clients and aspects which should remain consistent;
• Equip advisers with accessible information about age discrimination legislation and referral channels to more specialist sources of advice and guidance;
• Consider  the concept of the ‘older client’ and ways in which this can be meaningfully defined and applied.