Difficulty for older drivers (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Difficulty for older drivers

12:00pm Saturday 20th October 2012 in News

Older people in Wiltshire are being discriminated against when it comes to car insurance, says Devizes-based Age UK Wiltshire.

Age UK research has found that older people still face discrimination when they try to buy car insurance, despite a recent agreement that was made to protect them.

The “mystery shopper” research found that 21 per cent of shoppers aged 80 and over were not given phone or online quotes for motor insurance because of their age.

The agreement between the Government and the insurance industry was introduced in April this year and calls for insurers to “signpost” customers turned down because of their age to other companies that may be able to insure them. Yet Age UK research found that 85 per cent of people aged 80 and over were not redirected.

Age UK Wiltshire is urging consumers to persevere if they come across this discrimination in seeking insurance. The organisation said it offers insurance without age limits or hidden charges. Colin Sutton, insurance arranger at Age UK Wiltshire, said: “We understand how crucial it is for many older consumers to have appropriate insurance cover but unfortunately our survey has found that this unacceptable discrimination still exists. “We therefore urge all consumers to persevere and shop around to find the best deal for their needs. We have a long history of providing car and travel insurance to those in later life without upper age limits or any hidden fees.

“Most of our 1.1 million customers purchase from us in later life and choose to stay with us because they value our customer service and the reassurance that we don’t impose any hidden charges.” For details, call Age UK Wiltshire on (01380) 735502, visit 13 Market Place, Devizes, or go to www.ageuk. org.uk/products/