Member News
29th July 2010Commenting on today’s announcement on the Default Retirement Age, Michelle Mitchell, Age UK Charity Director, said:
“We have led a four year campaign to achieve this historic decision so Age UK is absolutely delighted that the Government is setting a clear date for the abolition of this arbitrary and unfair law.
“This is a huge victory for hundreds of thousands of employees who are at risk of being forced out of their jobs simply because of their age. The Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition deserves full credit for turning their commitment to fairness into practice.
“As government research published today shows, everybody stands to win from scrapping forced retirement. People over 65 will have full employment rights for the first time. Employers are set to gain £45 million per year through savings on administrative and policy costs and a cut to retirement red tape. The economy will benefit from older workers’ valuable skills and experience and their increased buying power, while public finances will receive a boost from more people paying taxes for longer.”
Notes:
Age UK is the new force combining Age Concern and Help the Aged. The Age UK family includes Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd