Government ‘Hides’ Unemployed Older Workers From Figures – Real Local Figure 14% Higher Say Tories

New research by the Conservatives has revealed that over 220,000 unemployed working age men have been written off by the Government and hidden from the unemployment figures. Locally, some 370 people have been 'massaged' from the figures for the constituency of North Warwickshire - which includes Bedworth.

Under benefit rules men aged 60-64 are able to claim Pension Credit instead of Jobseeker's Allowance if they lose their job. This means that they don't appear in the official unemployment claimant count figures each month and are excluded from a proper programme of back to work support.

Over 229,000 working age men are currently claiming Pension Credit - representing one in five of all male Pension Credit claimants and almost one in ten of all Pension Credit claims. In comparison there are only 17,775 men over 60 claiming Jobseeker's Allowance.

If the working aged men claiming Pension Credit were added to the claimant count it would rise by 15 per cent totalling 1.75 million unemployed in Britain, instead of 1.52 million as the Government's figures show.

In the constituency of North Warwickshire, unemployment would rise by 14% if the figures took into account working age pension credit claims.

Local Parliamentary Candidate, former soldier Dan Byles, said:

"Nothing shocks me about this government anymore. Everyone knows they manipulate and spin official figures to the point that no one trusts Government statistics anymore.

"I have been highlighting for months the shocking rise in local unemployment locally - which has been running for most of this year at well over double last year's figures. Now we learn that the true figure is much higher.

"370 local older people of working age have simply been 'disappeared' from the official figures. They have been written off. That represents 370 families who are struggling with unemployment, but to the Government they are an embarrassment - and are literally swept under the carpet and out of sight.

"How can the Government help people in difficulty if they don't admit they exist? Where are the back to work support programmes for people in this position? Sadly, until Gordon brown and Labour stop spinning that all is well and that we are 'best placed', and start facing up to the real problems the country is facing, they will remain part of the problem."