Media centre

Government hypocrisy over Mandatory Retirement Ages means thousands of older Civil Servants could have to leave work before they are ready‚ a series of parliamentary questions has revealed.

New information provided to Age Concern has revealed that a number of Government departments have kept a mandatory retirement age‚ despite Ministers urging employers to allow employees to retire when they choose.

Parliamentary questions have revealed that the Privy Council Office‚ the Home Office‚ the Cabinet Office‚ the Treasury‚ the Departments of Health‚ Trade and Industry‚ Constitutional Affairs‚ Transport‚ International Development‚ Culture‚ Media and Sport and all members of the senior civil service have a compulsory retirement age of 65.

Some departments have said they will consider requests to work beyond 65 – but this is a legal requirement.

These decisions are contrary to statements from a range of government ministers.

In his statement on 1 October to mark the launch of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006‚ Alistair Darling‚ the Trade and Industry Secretary‚ said:
"Discrimination against you just because you're older has no place in a modern society. From today it will be against the law for workers to miss out on recruitment‚ promotion or training because of prejudice about their age.

"In just 15 years‚ the over-50s will make up more than a third of the workforce. Ignoring a whole generation makes no sense. The individual loses‚ the company loses and the economy loses a wealth of talent and experience. What matters is the person‚ their skills and abilities not their age.

"We are determined to create a world where the best person for the job is just that - the best person. The new laws will help do that."

The DTI is one of the departments that will not allow people to work over 65.
Jim Fitzpatrick MP‚ Minister for Employment Relations at the DTI‚ agreed with the Secretary of State:

“Ageism is bad for individuals‚ it is bad for business‚ and it is bad for the economy. We are currently wasting a huge amount of human resource and potential. The cost to UK Plc in terms of lost output alone is staggering‚ with estimates ranging from £19 to £31 billion a year.

He added “The regulations provide for a default retirement age of 65. Emphatically it is not a national statutory compulsory retirement age.”  Yet the DTI itself is now treating 65 as a compulsory retirement age.

However‚ there is hope for those working in the following departments. Defra‚ the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Departments of Education and Skills‚ Work and Pensions and Communities and Local Government have all removed the Mandatory Retirement Age.

Gordon Lishman‚ Director General of Age Concern‚ said:

“Ageism is wrong‚ and the Government acknowledges it is wrong. Yet the Government’s own departments are forcing people over 65 to stop working.

“Not only is it unfair‚ it shows a shocking level of hypocrisy within the Government in terms of its attitude to ageism. This prejudice means that people who want or need to work for whatever reason are denied that right.

Notes to editors

Age Concern – with its membership organisation Heyday – has brought a legal challenge to provisions of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations that allow Mandatory Retirement Ages .The High Court has accepted that the case should been referred to the European Court of Justice which will be asked to rule on the correct interpretation of the EU Directive that underpins the Regulations.