More than a quarter of over 50s in the UK are now out of work — with two million of over 50s on out of work benefits — according to a new report from the the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ).

The CSJ is a right-wing think tank co-founded in 2004 by Iain Duncan Smith, Tim Montgomerie and Philippa Stroud.

Over one million British people aged 50 to 64 are now on benefits with no requirements to work, the report said.

The number of out of work benefit claimants aged over 50 rose by 600,000 to almost two million over the past five years, according to the new analysis.

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) report, Midlife Mission, said the number of jobless benefit claimants aged 50-64 reached 1.99 million in November 2024, up from 1.4 million just before the Covid-19 lockdown (February 2020).

The CSJ said the economic inactivity rate among 50- to 64-year-olds was 25.9% as of May 2025, more than double the 11.5% rate for 35- to 49-year olds.

“Health related exits from employment have soared amongst older people,” said the CSJ.

“Between 2015 and 2024, the number of economically inactive 50- to 64-year-olds citing long-term sickness rose by 21 per cent.”

The think tank urges the government to reform the sick note system to ensure it better supports older workers with manageable health conditions to remain connected to the labour market.

“In the final quarter of 2024–25, 2.7 million fit notes were issued – a 2.8 per cent rise on the previous year,” said the CSJ.

“Almost half (43 per cent) were issued for five weeks or longer – again, a rise on the year before.

“Crucially, 93 per cent were advised as ‘not fit for work’, compared to just 7 per cent that made use of the ‘may be fit for work’ option.”

The CSJ warns that this “reflects a system that defaults to full sickness absence.”

Instead, it calls on the UK Government to establish a new National Work and Health Service to take pressure off GPs and provide better support with workplace adjustments.

The report says that this change could help to reduce unnecessary workforce drop-out for older workers and keep them meaningfully engaged with employment, even if at a reduced level.

It goes on to say how GPs, the main issuers of fit notes, often lack the time and training to assess what reasonable adjustments might help a patient stay in work.

As a result, many fit notes lack the kind of practical detail employers need to support staff with modifications that could support them in staying in work.

Since 2019, the UK has experienced a huge decline in workforce participation, which accelerated during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, and is now one of the major obstacles to economic recovery.

The CSJ argue that the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on older workers, with the economic inactivity rate among 50- to 64-year-olds at 25.9% as of May 2025, more than double the 11.5% rate for 35- to 49-year olds.

The think tank highlights how people aged 50 to 64 years old account for 32% of the total increase in economic inactivity among 16 to 64-year-olds since Covid. This translates to around 185,000 more 50- to 64-year-olds who are not in work and not looking for work.

By contrast, economic inactivity among those aged 35 to 49 has decreased over the same period.

“Alarmingly, the number of economic inactive older people who say they would like to work has declined from 19 per cent in 2015 to just 14 per cent in 2024,” said the CSJ.

“Of those willing to work, most are not actively seeking employment, highlighting a critical yet overlooked pool of potential labour market participants.

“Ahead of the independent review by Sir Charles Mayfield, the Centre for Social Justice is calling on the Government to renew the strategy for older workers with a smarter, more tailored approach to boost employment, reduce benefit dependency, and improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

“Pointing to the early findings of Sir Charles Mayfield’s review, it says that the Government should ‘urgently improve access to occupational health services to help older workers stay in work’.”

Carolyn Harris, Labour MP for Neath & Swansea East, and Vice Chair of the CSJ, said: “As this timely report shows, the UK economy is facing a ‘midlife crisis’. The number of people aged 50-64 on out of work benefits increased by over half a million in just the four years since the pandemic.

“Health Secretary Wes Streeting is championing the right ideas with his WorkWell scheme but the Government should now mature the pilot into a National Work and Health Service, helping to stem the flow of the 300,000 or so who exit work every year due to sickness, and ensuring people get the support they need.”

Mercy Muroki, Development Director at the Centre for Social Justice, said: “Workers over 50 bring decades of skills, insight, and experience.

“Even a modest rise in employment among economically inactive people over 50 could generate billions in tax revenue and welfare savings.

“By adopting the measures set out in this report, the government can improve labour market outcomes for older people, reduce welfare dependency, and build a more inclusive, resilient labour market.”