Half of car insurance providers reject over-80s
02 February 2010 16:55:23
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| Older people may struggle to find car insurance. |
Age Concern and Help the Aged commissioned a study in which researchers applied for 200 car insurance quotes over the phone.
They discovered that half of car insurance firms would not issue quotes to over-80s, while one in three travel insurance providers also declined to consider this age group.
The study suggests that the availability of insurance starts to fall once a person reaches their 65th birthday, with many companies refusing to insure people beyond this age.
Age Concern and Help the Aged expressed concern that this "ageist" attitude towards insurance could restrict the lifestyles of many older people and prevent them from visiting family and friends.
Andrew Harrop, head of public policy at the charity, conceded that age "should sometimes be taken into account in pricing insurance", but he claimed that automatic age limits undermine the overall message of the equality bill, which is currently before the House of Lords.
"The insurance industry must wake up to the fact that more of us than ever are living longer‚ healthier and more active lives," Mr Harrop insisted.
However, the Government Equalities Office recently said that the insurance industry should be allowed to continue refusing quotes to people above certain age limits.
Rather than forcing insurers to offer policies to people of any age, the department has recommended a system of signposting and referrals to make it easier for older people to obtain and compare car insurance quotes from suitable companies.
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