We received a petition asking:

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to remove the financial exploitation of older people and to extend the Age Discrimination laws to encompass the provision of Travel Insurance."

Details of Petition:

"Insurance companies treat all people over 64 years of age as being ill. 95 per cent of annual and single trip travel insurance policies impose an upper age limit for claims. Of these, over two thirds stop at 65 and most of the remainder stop at 75. It is only marginally better with single trip policies. The COST of cover for a 65 year old is usually more than double the premium of someone of 64 years old - probably just one day older! The premiums then increase in 5 year increments. This is pure age discrimination coupled with financial exploitation of older people. A person of 75 can be more fit and healthy than a 40 year old - WHY penalise the older person?."

Read the Government’s response

The Government has undertaken a review of discrimination law. On 12 June 2007 it published a consultation paper, A Framework for Fairness: Proposals for a Single Equality Bill for Great Britain on 12 June 2007. This consultation, which closed on 4 September 2007, will inform the development of a clearer, simpler framework of discrimination law with a view to producing better outcomes for those experiencing disadvantage. It is leading to an Equality Bill, in line with the Government’s manifesto commitment to introduce such a Bill during this Parliament.

As regards, age discrimination in insurance, no decisions have yet been taken on how to proceed. The Government does not prescribe the terms and conditions that insurance companies may set when offering insurance. Nor do we intervene in the decisions of insurance companies when determining whether or not to offer cover. As a rule, insurers use their claims experience and other industry-wide statistics to set the terms on which they will offer insurance cover. If some insurance companies find that, in their experience, there is an increased likelihood of claims arising related to particular insureds, they may respond by increasing the premium to reflect the increased risk, or withdraw from offering insurance.

If individuals are having trouble finding travel insurance, the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) may be able to provide names of some specialist brokers that will advise on the availability of insurance and trawl the market for the best available deals. BIBA can be contacted at:

BIBA House
14 Bevis Marks
London EC3A 7NT

Tel: 020 7397 0204