Chris U’Dell

The Government Equalities Office have recently released a white paper entitled Framework for a Fairer Future - The Equality Bill. The Equality Bill is aimed at effectively removing discrimination against all individuals and groups. Of particular interest to the Insurance Market is how it will affect products with an upper age limit.

The Equality Bill will enable us to make it unlawful to discriminate against someone because of their age when providing goods, facilities and services or carrying out public functions.

But before the public outcry starts there are standard exclusions!

It will not affect the differential provision of products or services for older people where this is justified – for example free bus passes for over-60s and priority flu vaccinations for over-60s or group holidays for particular age groups or actuarially justifiable age-based treatment in areas such as financial services.

A more comprehensive paper is due shortly.