150 top british employers backing young britain 85,000 opportunities pledged for young people

Over 150 top British employers have thrown their weight behind Backing Young Britain, a national campaign to create new opportunities for thousands of young people during the recession.

Government and employers are pledging an extra 85,000 opportunities for young people today. These range from Morrisons pledging new training for every one of its 36,000 employees under the age of 25, to Government providing help to get 45,000 young people into jobs in retail, tourism, leisure and hospitality.

There are also 5,000 new opportunities, including apprenticeships from companies including Centrica, Carillion and Royal Mail. Other employers backing the campaign, and pledging support include Microsoft, Bovis Lendlease, Pfizer and Phones4U.

The Prime Minister, Work and Pensions Secretary Yvette Cooper and top employers signed up to Backing Young Britain, met 250 young people at a Youth Summit at Birmingham City Football Club today.

Gordon Brown said:

"I am delighted that 150 employers recognise the value of Backing Young Britain and have joined the campaign. Together we can create thousands of opportunities for young people and ensure that the next generation gets its foot on the career ladder.

"This Government will do everything we can to help people who are suffering because of the global economic downturn. We know that people of all ages are being hit by the recession, but it is young people who can be most at risk and that's where Backing Young Britain can really make a difference."

Young people also took part in a panel debate with the Prime Minister and Yvette Cooper, hosted by BBC TV’s Anita Rani. Other members of the panel included Martina Milburn from the Prince’s Trust, Sam Laidlaw from Centrica, Imran Hakim of iTeddy and Jill Youds from Virgin Media.

In July, the Government announced the first 47,000 jobs from the £1bn Future Jobs Fund, which will create 100,000 new jobs targeted at young people.

The Government also announced 45,000 new training and support opportunities to help young people move into sectors that need new talent and have jobs to fill including hospitality, leisure, tourism and retail. In the last three months, over 70,000 vacancies were notified to Jobcentre Plus in retail alone, and the Government is working with industry to make sure young people get the chance to take up more of these jobs.

If young people are job ready, they will be helped into a job, with a financial incentive to employers who take them on. If they are not, they will get the training they need and then be helped to find work.

Yvette Cooper said:

“We will not lose a generation of young people to work because of the global recession. We already have over 150 of Britain’s top employers signing up to Backing Young Britain to create opportunities for young people. It is crucial for all of us that we make sure we do everything we can to harness the skills and talent of young people now so that we can all benefit in the future. We are acting now so that unemployment does not scar families, communities and the economy for generations.”

The Government also said that over 230,000 unemployed people have been helped into jobs through Local Employment Partnerships; with more than 25,000 employers signed up to work with Jobcentre Plus to help unemployed people back to work.

LEPs help employers to recruit more people, such as the long-term unemployed, for whom the jobs market can be particularly tough, and can involve such measures as guaranteed interviews, special recruitment processes, pre-employment training and work trials.

Young people will also get the help they need sooner: 18-24 year olds will be able to take up a new job from the Future Jobs Fund earlier – after claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance for ten months rather than a year, from April 2010.

Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson said:
"Today's package of support for young people is a win-win situation for everyone. The benefits will be felt by the person who gets a foot on the employment ladder, the business gets a new addition to the team, and the country as a whole.

“Work experience, offering internships to graduates and investing in skills and training are vital to equipping young people and businesses with the tools to come out of the downturn in a strong position."

To find out more about how to join the Backing Young Britain Campaign visit www.hmg.gov.uk/backingyoungbritain

Workers Memorial Day consultation begins

The government today launched a consultation into officially recognising Workers Memorial Day to remember those who lose their lives at work.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Yvette Cooper confirmed the consultation would look at how the day could be officially recognised in the UK. The Government wants to give bereaved families, unions who represent workers, and the public, the opportunity to have their say about how they would like to mark the day and commemorate those who have died. She said:

“It is a tragedy that some people go out to work and then never return home to their families. I want to look at what the UK can do to remember the thousands of workers who have lost their lives.

“I know there are many ideas for consideration, including a lasting memorial. Many countries already recognise Workers Memorial Day, to commemorate those who have been killed, seriously injured or made ill through work.”

Despite the UK having one of the best health and safety records in the world, there were still 180 workplace fatalities in Britain in 2008/09. Many more die as a result of diseases incurred when they are working. Every year, for example, there are around 4,000 cancer deaths due to past exposure to asbestos, and every working day, over 400 people are seriously injured at work. Accidents and ill health are estimated to cost society £20bn a year.

Following its inception in Canada in 1984, Workers Memorial Day is already recognised as a national day in many countries around the world including Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Luxembourg, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Taiwan and the USA.

Since the early 1990s, the day has become the focal point for an increasing number of commemorative events involving the bereaved, trade unionists, the TUC, Government bodies and Local Authorities among others.

The consultation is published today and runs until 19 October 2009. For further information please follow the link: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/

Cooper: trailblazers at the heart of initiative to support disabled people

Trailblazing local authorities are being invited to help shape the way services are delivered to disabled people, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper told local authorities today

Yvette Cooper encouraged local authorities to work with Jobcentre Plus offices and develop proposals to become Right to Control trailblazers.

Right to Control is a shake-up of the way disabled people can use the funding they receive from the state and is part of the Government’s radical welfare reforms. The trailblazers will test how this could work in practice.

Yvette Cooper said:

“Local authorities have an exciting opportunity to shape the way services supporting disabled people are delivered in the future. This will put the wishes of the individual at the heart of the system. I am, today, urging local authorities to work with local agencies and Government to develop innovative approaches through trailblazers.”

Jonathan Shaw said:

“We understand that disabled people are the experts in their own lives. The Right to Control will give them power to choose the support they need and trailblazer sites will play a vital role in shaping this scheme.”

The Right to Control, which is a major part of the Government’s goal to achieve equality for disabled people by 2025, gives disabled people the power to decide who delivers their services and how they receive them.

Individuals and organisations can take part in the Right to Control consultation by visiting www.odi.gov.uk/right-to-control or calling 020 7449 5093

Building a society for all ages: Choice for older people

The Government is today launching a strategy “Building A Society For All Ages”, to help Britain prepare for our ageing society.

Minister for Pensions and the Ageing Society Angela Eagle said:

“The Government is already taking action so that we can all make the most of the opportunities that longer lives bring. We have fundamentally reformed our pension system, increasing the state pension age and making sure that much greater numbers of people are saving adequately for their retirement. We are outlawing age discrimination in goods, facilities and services and will shortly publish options for reforming care and support. We are now at a demographic tipping point and today’s strategy will build on foundations to equip the UK to meet the needs and aspirations of the future.”

With pensioners now outnumbering school children, the Government is acting to make sure we are all – as individuals and families, as communities and service providers – prepared for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

The strategy, the latest in the series of announcements to follow the publication of the Government's plan for 'Building Britain's Future', draws together action to help individuals, families, businesses, public services and communities respond to demographic change. It follows the Government’s major reforms to respond to demographic change including the Turner reforms to the Pension system, the measures to outlaw age discrimination in the new Equality Bill, and the new Care and Support Green Paper to be published this week.

As part of helping the economy respond to an ageing society, a review of the Default Retirement Age (DRA) will be brought forward to take place next year. Currently employers can require all staff to retire at 65 regardless of their circumstances. The majority of people retire before 65, however 1.3m people choose to work beyond state pension age, and many more say they would work past 65 if their employer permitted it. The Government had previously promised to review the DRA in 2011 to see if it was still needed, but Ministers have brought the review forward to respond to changing demographic and economic circumstances.

Speaking about the Default Retirement Age, Angela went on to say;
“It is time to look again at this. Some people prefer to take early retirement, others prefer to keep working. We want to give older people flexible retirement options. The Government is responding to the changed economic landscape. The different circumstances today - for businesses, and for individuals coming up to retirement - suggest that an earlier review is appropriate. As Britain's demographics change, it is sensible that we have the debate on what works for business and individuals. The retirement laws need to reflect modern social and economic circumstances.”

The Government also believes that more needs to be done to respond to changing families as a result of the ageing society – with grandparents playing a stronger role and more people caring for elderly relatives. Building on the National Insurance measures taken in the budget to help those caring for grandchildren, a summit will take place in the autumn to explore the changing role of grandparents more widely and what more we can do to support them in maintaining strong relationships with their grandchildren after parental separation and divorce.

The Government believes that public services need to make responding to older people part of the mainstream of services and we will also work with local authorities to increase participation in later life by using smartcard technology to provide all-in-one cards giving access to a range of local opportunities. Smart card technology is already used in bus passes; these have the potential to also be used in leisure centres, libraries, sports clubs and other services. We will work with local authorities to test an all in one smart card that provides both central and local government entitlements.

Mid life health checks will be available on the NHS for everyone over 40 to help people prepare for a healthier old age.

(DWP) Real help with your council tax and rent bills - Winterton

The DWP is writing to 200,000 pensioners who get Pension Credit to encourage them to contact their local council to check if they are entitled to help with their Council Tax or housing costs.

This comes after the Pension Credit standard minimum guarantee increased this April by the biggest amount since it was introduced, bringing it to £130 a week for single pensioners or £198.45 for a couple.

Pensions Minister Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP said:

"We want everyone to receive all the help that they are entitled to, especially in these difficult times. Some people on Pension Credit might not be aware that they can also receive help with their rent and Council Tax.

"It can make a real difference. A pensioner with the guarantee element of Pension Credit, with average rent and Council Tax liabilities, could have a weekly income equivalent to around £215 a week."

"I also want more people to claim all the benefits they are entitled to which is why, from last November, we have made it easier to claim State Pension, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit in just one easy free phone call, without the need to sign and return any claim forms."

Pensioners who receive the letters should contact their local council. Any pensioner who wants to apply for Pension Credit itself can call the hotline on 0800 991234

In the 2009 Budget the Chancellor announced that the capital threshold in Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for pensioners will be increased from £6,000 to £10,000 from November 2009. This means that the first £10,000 of capital will be fully disregarded. Half a million of the poorest pensioners stand to benefit from this change with an average weekly gain across all three benefits of £4 a week.

The government is also repeating the increased level of winter fuel payments. For winter 2009/2010, the Winter Fuel Payment for households with someone aged 60-79 will increase from £200 to £250 and from £300 to £400 for households with someone aged 80 or over.