DWP launches new Midlife MOT website

A new online Midlife MOT has been launched to help older workers with financial planning, health guidance, and to assess what their skills mean for their careers and futures.

The free website encourages people to review their skills and help to break down barriers to the labour market, in turn delivering on the Government's priority to grow the economy. It brings together trusted services, help such as a jobseeker toolkit and charity resources. It will allow people to identify job opportunities across the UK as well as better preparing them for later life and their retirement.

The website signposts to key organisations and charities, including:- the NHS, Mind, MoneyHelper, Citizens Advice, the Department for Work and Pension's (DWP) find a job portal and Job Help campaign.

As part of this, MoneyHelper has created a financial tool which will provide a personalised report to help people understand what to prioritise to improve their financial position, from now through to retirement.

The Midlife MOT was originally launched in Jobcentres across England with work coaches working with claimants to encourage planning for later life and boosting their confidence. Following the initial success, the Government has looked at ways of reaching more people with the service and making it accessible for everyone; right across the UK.

Helen from Bolton is someone who has recently benefitted from the Government's Midlife MOT offer. She wanted a new challenge and recently found a job as a cleaner in a primary School after having received tailored support from her local Jobcentre.

This included taking part in a Midlife MOT session where Helen, who is in her 60s, improved her confidence levels by conducting a stocktake of her skills and understanding how valuable she would be to an employer. Her story shows that people are never too old to retrain and develop new skills.

Minister for Employment, Guy Opperman MP said:- "We are all living longer and planning for later life is essential but knowing where to start can be daunting. Our digital Midlife MOT is open to everyone and easy to access, and will give people the tools to make informed decisions; on their personal finances, their health and on their careers. I would encourage older people in particular to invest the time to see exactly what it can do for them."

Andy Briggs, CEO of the Phoenix Group and Older Workers Champion for the Government added:- "The introduction of an enhanced digital MOT, that's open to all, is welcome news and, with a focus on work, wealth and wellbeing, it will be an essential tool in helping people make the most of their longer lives. So much so, that Phoenix Group has piloted its own version of the midlife MOT which will be rolled out to colleagues in the coming months. The desire to stay in meaningful work for longer is already important to many people. More experienced, older workers offer a wealth of knowledge but are often written off or overlooked for no good reason. Age is no barrier to learning and I encourage businesses to invest for all, to enjoy the benefits of greater retention and more skilled employees."

The digital Midlife MOT forms part of the Government's wider package to help older workers find and move into work as well as helping those already in work understand what support is available. In the Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced that the DWP will be increasing the number of people who can access in person Midlife MOT support via their local Jobcentre, from 8,000 to 40,000 a year.

The Government's digital offer will be continually reviewed to ensure it is as interactive and tailored as possible and people will soon be able to access content specific to:- England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Retro fit trees into housing estates to bring nature back, charity to tell Councils

THE Woodland Trust will challenge Councils to bring back nature to the places we live, as Councillors and officers converge on the Local Government Association (LGA) Conference in Bournemouth.

The charity will present its new report; Trees and Woods at the Heart of Nature Recovery in England; to delegates which sets out a raft of solutions, including adding more trees into housing estates with less than 16% tree cover, 30% canopy cover for new developments, and access to greenspace within 10 minutes of everyone's doorsteps. To coincide with the launch, the Trust is urging people to back its campaign calling on Councillors to take urgent action for nature.

The report, designed to help Councils and communities write their Local Nature Recovery Strategies, follows the Government's announcement on Friday that is has made �14m available to the 48 local authorities tasked with leading on drafting the plans.

Ecologist Louise Wilkinson, Nature Recovery Lead at the Woodland Trust who co-authored the report, said:- "We recognise the enormous strain on local authority budgets and wrote this report to offer a helping hand on how to surmount the challenge of rapid declines in nature. This year the Government handed local authorities the task of involving communities in writing Local Nature Recovery Strategies. This is a golden chance for communities to map out what they want to see, where to bring nature back, and crucially, to embed this in local policy. It's a tough task so we have published the top steps that should be incorporated."

Since 1970, 35% of species have declined in abundance. This means today's children now have a 70% less chance of seeing a hedgehog than their parents did, while dormice populations have fallen 48% since today's Primary School pupils were born. The proportion of urban green space is also declining.

Responsibility to turn the tide rests with local authorities as well as national Government. As part of the 2021 Environment Act, the Government is tasking designated local authorities to develop Local Nature Recovery Strategies bespoke to their areas; an action required by law. These plans are designed to be easy to grasp and are geared to reflect the views of local people on where they want to see areas of nature rich space for public use.

Darren Moorcroft, chief executive of the Woodland Trust, explained why trees are vital:- "Trees and woods are critical in creating better, healthier places for people to live and all communities should have access to these benefits. As well as driving nature's return, tree numbers correlate to improving people's health and well being; something that's being increasingly recognised by leaders across the globe. This is why our report calls for Councils to ensure more trees on new and existing housing estates as well as improved access to woodland, so that trees and woods can benefit their residents and nature alike."

To help ensure these plans are placed high on agendas, the Woodland Trust is asking people to contact their local authorities via its campaign website. The e-action will demand that local authorities declare a nature crisis. It is estimated that while 80% of Councils have declared a climate emergency, fewer than 15% that have declared a nature crisis.

Dr Moorcroft, added t5hat:- "We have launched our campaign that takes 2 clicks to let your local authority know you want it to declare a nature emergency. We know many people feel unheard but we're asking them not to underestimate the power of lending their weight to campaigns that challenge elected politicians to listen. Our report is focussed on solutions, not panic. There are answers to the crisis we face. We just need action; and it can be done."

To contact your Council and back the e-action, visit:- WoodlAndTrust.Org.UK. To read the report in full please visit:- WoodlAndTrust.Org/Publications

Did you know? The Woodland Trust is the largest woodland conservation charity in the UK. It has over 500,000 supporters. It wants to see a UK rich in native woods and trees for people and wildlife. it was established in 1972 and now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 29,000 hectares. Access to its woods is free so everyone can benefit from woods and trees.

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DWP launches new Midlife MOT website

Retro fit trees into housing estates to bring nature back, charity to tell Councils