UK urges those over 50 to be couriers: "There are a lot of great opportunities out there for people"

UK Minister for Work and Pensions Mel Stride has urged people over 50 to look for work as delivery drivers to “break down age stereotypes”. This was expressed during a visit to the London headquarters of the home delivery company Deliveroo, which has experienced a 62% increase in the number of “riders” over the age of 50 since 2021, Stride told the newspaper “The Times” that the elderly should consider other job alternatives.

“There are a lot of great opportunities out there for people and it is good that options are being considered that would not have been thought of,” said the Conservative minister.

In his opinion, companies like Deliveroo allow the flexibility that many seek in the labor market, as there is no requirement for hours worked and offer the possibility of connecting at the most convenient time for the worker.

Stride said it is incumbent on employers to create a conducive environment for those over 50 to feel comfortable, so that neither the company's culture nor its positioning on social issues makes them feel alienated.

Stride, 61, is a deputy, not a delivery man

At the age of 61, however, Stride showed no desire to leave politics to become a delivery man, but rather intends to continue his work as an MP and run as a “Tory” candidate in the next elections.

According to the Office for National Statistics, more than 3.4 million people over 50 but below the retirement age are classified as “economically inactive”, something that worries the British Government due to the problems of many companies to hire workers .