2nd Report - Preparing for an ageing society
- HC No.
- Not recorded
- Published
- 19 Dec 2025
- Items
- 0
- Government response
- Government response published 18 February 2026 (deadline 19 February 2026). Read the government's response ↗
Select committee: Economic Affairs Committee
Preparing for an Ageing Society
Closed
Opened 18 Mar 2025
Closed 4 Sep 2026
Economic Affairs Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
The UK is an ageing society. The birth rate is declining and life expectancy increasing; the UK can therefore expect an increasing proportion of its population to comprise older individuals. The Economic Affairs Committee is launching an inquiry to investigate the impact of ageing on the UK economy and society, the opportunities and challenges the Government needs to consider given the demographic trend and the policies necessary to adapt to this future. The committee has issued a call for written evidence and will be taking oral evidence from March 2025.
Where it stands
The inquiry is closed, opened 18 March 2025.
The committee has published 1 report, most recently 2nd Report - Preparing for an ageing society on 19 December 2025.
The government's response
Published 18 February 2026. The deadline was 19 February 2026.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response sets out existing and planned policies across pensions, employment, health and social care, and does not accept the recommendations for a Cabinet sub-committee on ageing or a standalone ageing strategy.
- On workforce participation, the government "agrees that higher workforce participation, particularly at older ages, can play an important role in supporting growth and improving the old age dependency ratio", and cites employment support funding rising to more than £3.75 billion per year by 2028-29.
- On a Cabinet sub-committee on ageing chaired by the Prime Minister, the response points to a new Growth and Living Standards Committee instead, and says it "considers this integrated approach preferable to a single standalone strategy" on the strategy recommendation.
- On adult social care, the government says it "will respond to both the Phase 1 and Phase 2 reports" of the Casey Commission, reporting in 2026 and by 2028 respectively.
- On extending the Lifelong Learning Entitlement to Levels 1 to 3, the response sets out that it will cover Levels 4 to 6 from January 2027, and says it "will consider the next steps for adult qualifications (19+) in future".
Reports
- 2nd Report - Preparing for an ageing society19 December 2025
Evidence
- 10 oral evidence sessionsLatest 14 October 2025
- 22 witnesses
Recent activity
- Government Repsonse to the Economic Affairs Committee Second Report: Preparing for an ageing society18 February 2026, Report published
- 2nd Report - Preparing for an ageing society19 December 2025, Report published
- Oral evidence session14 October 2025, Oral evidence
Reports
Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Oct 2025 |
Oral evidence session
Antonia Williams · HM Treasury,
James Murray MP · HM Treasury,
Laura Webster · HM Treasury
|
View ↗ |
| 1 Jul 2025 |
Oral evidence session
Prof. David Miles CBE · Budget Responsibility Committee,
Richard Hughes · Office for Budget Responsibility,
Tom Josephs · Office for Budget Responsibility
|
View ↗ |
| 17 Jun 2025 |
Oral evidence session
Carl Quilliam · Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD),
Yvonne Sonsino · Mercer
|
View ↗ |
| 10 Jun 2025 |
Oral evidence session
David Sinclair · International Longevity Centre,
Prof. Jonathan Skinner · US National Bureau of Economic Research
|
View ↗ |
| 13 May 2025 |
Oral evidence session
Prof. Lynda Gratton · London Business School,
Prof. Philip Taylor · Warwick Institute for Employment Research,
Prof. Wendy Loretto · University of Edinburgh Business School
|
View ↗ |
| 6 May 2025 |
Oral evidence session
Dr Emily Andrews · Centre for Ageing Better,
Naomi Clayton · Institute for Employment Studies (IES)
|
View ↗ |
| 29 Apr 2025 |
Oral evidence session
Catherine Foot · Phoenix Group,
Dr Jonathan Cribb · Institute for Fiscal Studies
|
View ↗ |
| 22 Apr 2025 |
Oral evidence session
Prof. Andrew J. Scott · London Business School,
Prof. Charles Goodhart · London School of Economics (LSE)
|
View ↗ |
| 1 Apr 2025 |
Oral evidence session
Dr Ben Brindle · The Migration Observatory,
Mary Gregory · Office for National Statistics
|
View ↗ |
| 25 Mar 2025 |
Oral evidence session
Prof. Sarah Harper · Oxford Institute of Population Ageing
|
View ↗ |
Who gave evidence
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| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Antonia Williams · Director of Public Services | HM Treasury | 1 |
| Carl Quilliam · Public Affairs Manager | Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) | 1 |
| Catherine Foot · Director of Phoenix Insights | Phoenix Group | 1 |
| David Sinclair · Chief Executive | International Longevity Centre | 1 |
| Dr Ben Brindle · Researcher | The Migration Observatory | 1 |
| Dr Emily Andrews · Deputy Director for Work | Centre for Ageing Better | 1 |
| Dr Jonathan Cribb · Deputy Director | Institute for Fiscal Studies | 1 |
| James Murray MP · Chief Secretary to the Treasury | HM Treasury | 1 |
| Laura Webster · Director of Personal Tax, Welfare and Pensions | HM Treasury | 1 |
| Mary Gregory · Director of Population Statistics | Office for National Statistics | 1 |
| Naomi Clayton · Chief Executive | Institute for Employment Studies (IES) | 1 |
| Prof. Andrew J. Scott · Professor of Economics | London Business School | 1 |
| Prof. Charles Goodhart · Emeritus Professor of Banking and Finance | London School of Economics (LSE) | 1 |
| Prof. David Miles CBE · Member | Budget Responsibility Committee | 1 |
| Prof. Jonathan Skinner · Director of the Program on the Economics of Aging | US National Bureau of Economic Research | 1 |
| Prof. Lynda Gratton · Professor of Management Practice | London Business School | 1 |
| Prof. Philip Taylor · Professor | Warwick Institute for Employment Research | 1 |
| Prof. Sarah Harper · Director | Oxford Institute of Population Ageing | 1 |
| Prof. Wendy Loretto · Professor of Organisational Behaviour | University of Edinburgh Business School | 1 |
| Richard Hughes · Chair | Office for Budget Responsibility | 1 |
| Tom Josephs · Member, Budget Responsibility Committee | Office for Budget Responsibility | 1 |
| Yvonne Sonsino · Partner and Lead on Total Wellbeing and Longevity | Mercer | 1 |
Meetings & visits
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| Date | Type | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jul 2025 | Formal meeting (private meeting) | Not recorded · Virtual Meeting |