More equality - but not just yet
‘Damp squib’ is the phrase that springs to mind reading the Government paper published today promising – among other things – to end age discrimination.
Hopes were high when the document was widely trailed in the weekend papers and Equalities Minister Harriet Harman popped up on Thursday’s news bulletins. But when Framework for a Fairer Future was finally published at lunchtime it became clear it was another set of vague aspirations rather than a serious plan to end discrimination against older people by banks, insurers, shopkeepers, doctors and care workers.
Eventually the intention is to make it unlawful, for example, to refuse someone travel insurance just because they are over 80. Or for a furniture shop to refuse interest free credit because you are over 65. Or for a bank to charge higher interest rates on a loan to older people. Or for a doctor to refuse treatment because someone is over 75.
But the paper makes it clear it will not end "justifiable age-based treatment in areas such as financial services." So if you can prove that people in their 70s are more likely to have a car crash you can put up their premiums. And if you can show that octogenarians are more likely to default on a credit card then you can refuse to issue one.
Despite this loophole the Association of British Insurers immediately said it is against any such new laws. Director of Insurance Nick Starling said "Legislation could have the consequence of forcing some insurers to withdraw certain products reducing competition and pushing up prices for all age groups."
The banks say it is too early to talk about detail. It is waiting for a Treasury working group on age discrimination to report – possibly in July. Without some agreement on where discrimination occurs remedies cannot be drawn up.
Campaigner Kate Jopling Head of Public Affairs at the charity Help the Aged believes the new paper is an important, if small, step. "The Goverment has now said there will be legislation to end age discrimination. So we can begin to talk about the details."
But the timetable stretches into the distant future. The paper promises to work "over the next few months" with other Government departments, with ‘stakeholders’, with business and industry, with the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Not to mention uncle Tom Cobbley and all.
It concludes "we will publish a detailed paper on the content of the Equality Bill shortly". I thought that was what we were supposed to get this week.
Perhaps it’s not so much a damp squib as a blue touch paper. I just hope I’m still around when it’s lit.
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