The Daily Echo 29 March 07

Written by Sandra Gidley MP on Thu 29th Mar 2007

A recent report by Help the Aged and Age Concern highlighted problems that older people have in accessing insurance.

The report showed that one in four people over 75 and one in five people over 65 were unsuccessful in getting quotations for motor insurance, travel insurance or car hire. Only one in thirty-three of those in the 30-49 age bracket experienced similar problems.

This has knock on effects. Some people simply stop travelling because of the barriers to obtaining insurance. Thirteen percent of those aged eighty and over had actually been put off travelling. This was partly attributed to insurance and partly to access.

In an age when public transport is so poor a car is a necessity for many older people and enables them to live a more fulfilled and active life. Quite simply, they are able to access a wider range of services. If someone can't afford to run a car then their social well being can be seriously affected and this can lead to social isolation and depression. Some insurers refuse to insure people over a certain age and many increase their premiums in a fairly arbitrary fashion. They do not assess the health and ability of the individual - they make a sweeping generalisation based on age alone.

By shopping around it is often possible to find cheaper insurance but the research also showed that a lower proportion of the over 65s claimed to shop around for the best deal and many did not have access to the internet - which would have enabled them to do this more effectively.

We now have an Equalities Act. I worked on the Bill and many of us wished to see age discrimination afforded the same priority as other forms of discrimination such as race and gender. The Government seemed determined not to proceed with this but pressed ahead with the formation of the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights. I have no problem with a joined up approach to discrimination but there seems little sense in establishing such a body if the law still allows different forms of discrimination against different groups in society.

Blanket discrimination is wrong and should be challenged. When I am old I will be happy to be judged by what I can and can't do but will not wish people to pre-judge me or my capabilities because of my age. We should all challenge such discrimination when we are aware of it.

Published with the kind permission of the Daily Echo