THE Work and Pensions Secretary was slammed by union leaders today as being “out-of-touch” after suggesting that more over-50s should work delivering takeaways.

Mel Stride was visiting the London headquarters of food delivery firm Deliveroo, which has recorded a 62 per cent increase in riders over 50 since 2021.

When asked if the over-50s should apply for jobs traditionally seen as being for younger people, such as courier work, he said: “There are loads of great opportunities out there for people and it’s good for people to consider options they might not have otherwise thought of.”

TUC senior employment rights policy officer Tim Sharp told the Star: “These comments are out-of-touch.

“Hundreds of thousands of over-50s are leaving the labour market because of ill health – but the government’s response is telling them to do physically demanding work in the gig economy.”

Mr Sharp said that if ministers really wanted to make work attractive to over-50’s, they would deliver the long-promised employment Bill to boost protections and rights for workers.

“And they would have put together a plan to fix the crisis in our NHS that leaves millions waiting months or even years for treatment,” he said.

Independent Workers of Great Britain couriers branch chairman Shaf Hussain said that the government is ignoring the real barriers to work that many over-50s face and encouraging them “into in-work poverty” in gig economy roles that are “low paid, physically demanding and dangerous, and lack basic working rights.

“Ministers should be calling for reform and regulation of the gig economy, making sure that workers of any age can have flexibility and rights and that people over 50 aren’t forced into precarious work because of the rampant cost-of-living crisis,” he said.

Mr Hussian added that those over 50 in the gig economy are barely scraping by, “unable to make decent money or save in the form of pensions,” due to pay and conditions.