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15 March 2023
Anchor's response to the 2023 Budget
Anchor's Chief Executive, Sarah Jones, and Executive Director of Development, Oliver Boundy, comment on today’s Budget statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
In response to the pledges around older people and workforce, Sarah says:
We welcome The Chancellor’s pledge to encourage more over-50s back to work.
Our research shows that there is significant interest from older people in wanting to return to paid employment, however 70% of over 65s say they don’t think older people have an equal chance at being hired and 40% say that the workplace isn’t an inclusive place for older people.
As an Age Friendly Employer, Anchor applauds any policy that supports people to continue to undertake paid work, should they choose to do so, and we encourage government to work with employers to ensure that age friendly practises become the norm.
Oliver Boundy, Executive Director of Development for Anchor adds:
It’s disappointing that housing was glaringly absent from the budget today when, as many will agree, it really should be a priority.
There is a considerable undersupply of suitable homes for older people. With an ageing population that gap will only widen, and our research shows that interest is increasing - 35% of over-55s say they are likely to consider moving into specialist retirement housing.
We’ve seen that economic uncertainty and the rising cost of living have also led to a rise in enquiries about downsizing. As ever, it’s important to consider downsizing as ‘rightsizing’, finding the right sized property which fits both physical and financial needs.
To meet the pent-up demand and deliver the homes our aging society needs, the government must ensure that planning reforms support the development of older people’s housing through a new planning classification for retirement communities, to help unlock the pending investment in the market and incentivising downsizing by introducing Stamp Duty Land Tax relief for older people.
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