‘I’m 50 and have been applying for jobs every day for two years – I might have to move in with my mother’
Tina Chummun has been applying for jobs every day for the past two years. Nearly 4,000 applications later, the 50-year-old finds himself unemployed, owing thousands of pounds to his mortgage lender and facing the possibility of having to move in with his mother.
He says disappointment, along with the brutal rejections in his inbox, isn’t even enough to describe the struggle that has completely consumed his life.
Ms Chummun, who has a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees in marketing and psychotherapy and is in her third year of a doctorate in health and social care, believes the reason for the rejections is her age. He said the government should step in to help older people like him who are facing a job market where they no longer feel they belong.
After losing her job in April 2024, Ms. Chummun worked part-time selling consulting and marketing services but could not earn enough to cover her bills.
She hopes to work full-time in digital marketing but is applying for every position she can find. He said he’s only gotten one interview for a marketing job in the last two years.
After he struggled to pay his bills, his mortgage lender took him to court. “It’s just one nightmare after another,” Ms Chummun said Independent.
“I love working, it gives me a sense of purpose and meaning, I don’t want to retire… It’s so frustrating and I try everything… I want to get up and go to work. I don’t want to claim benefits. I can’t claim benefits because I’m self-employed, but I don’t want to.”
The four-bedroom house in Kettering, Northamptonshire, is now up for sale as he plans to rent it to increase his chances of moving back to London and finding work.
If he cannot find a job after a year in London, he will have to “seriously consider” moving in with his mother, who currently supports him financially.
According to government figures, 876,000 people aged 50 to 64 want to work but are not. He is one of many people his age who struggle to find work.
On Monday the government unveiled a £1bn youth unemployment scheme aimed at encouraging employers to hire young people.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden announced new measures which include offering businesses £3,000 to hire an 18-24 year old who has been unemployed for six months or more.
Ms Chummun believes her chances of finding a job are further diminished because employers want to hire young people who they can pay lower wages. He wants the government to make similar efforts to encourage older people to return to the workforce, after repeatedly hearing they are overqualified or unsuited for roles.
He said digital marketing was a particularly difficult field for older people to find work in because “it’s a pretty young industry and there’s also a lot of stigma and a lot of stereotypes that older people aren’t digitally savvy.”
A charity is now calling on the government to find a similar level of investment to support workers in their fifties and sixties, addressing a labor market in crisis at both ends of the scale.
According to the Center for Better Aging, just a 1 per cent increase in the number of people aged 50 to 64 in work could grow the economy by more than £7bn.
The charity’s deputy director of work, retirement and transitions, Dr. Andrea Barry said: “Government interventions must build on what we have learned to protect older workers and get older job seekers back into the labor market.”
He said it was vital for the government to invest in older workers as almost half of the population is expected to be over 50 within 40 years.
“We need the government to increase its targets for older workers by targeting a significant increase in employment rates for over 50 workers to close the gap with other age groups,” Dr Barry added. “To do this, we need to see employment support services specifically designed for people in their fifties and sixties, who often experience the worst outcomes from these services compared to other age groups.
“The highest poverty levels for any age group over 25 are among 60 to 64-year-olds who are outside the ageist labor market and waiting for their pensions.”
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: “Our Putting Britain to Work reforms will boost employment for people of all ages by overhauling job centers and providing personalized jobs and skills support.
“We provide dedicated support for older workers by offering midlife assessments to encourage people to assess their skills and help break down barriers to employment, while our menopause employment ambassador is collaborating with employers to increase workplace support for women experiencing menopausal symptoms.”
