Number 10 call for elderly to go back to work

Elderly people should go back to work to stop them feeling lonely, a top adviser to the Prime Minister has claimed.

David Halpern, a senior advisor on the ‘big society’ agenda, said loneliness is more deadly than smoking and strong social relationships, such as those built in the workplace, would help people live longer. According to Mr Halpern, more than half of over 75s in the UK feel lonely ‘all or most of the time’.

Mr Halpern also suggested the elderly should downsize their houses to free up homes for young families. He said: ‘A big issue we have is under-occupation of houses. We have more TVs than people in the house. ‘We do have enough houses it’s just essentially they are lived in by older people.’

A report last year suggested there were 25 million empty bedrooms in the UK.