The new report states that ageism is “widespread” and “culturally embedded” in the UK. It calls for stronger legal protections against age discrimination and a new cross-government strategy to address the challenges and opportunities posed by the UK’s ageing population. The committee expressed support for establishing a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing in England and advised the UK government to assess the experience in Wales, which has a well-established Commissioner for Older People and a comprehensive network of local authority Older People’s Champions helping to deliver a national strategy.
We also welcome the committee’s recommendation that the government should commission and fund a review into the effectiveness of legal protections against age discrimination. The committee concluded that existing age discrimination law and the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) are “failing older people” because the protections are “inadequate and rarely enforced”. The committee’s report also finds “clear evidence” of harmful ageist stereotyping, including portrayals of older people as being either incompetent, frail or helpless or “wealth hoarding boomers”.
The report calls on the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the broadcast media regulator Ofcom and the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) to take steps to strengthen their respective regulatory codes to better protect individuals and society from the harms of pervasive ageism. The report also labels the omission to update the UK’s digital inclusion strategy as a “considerable failure of government”.
Dr Carole Easton OBE, Chief Executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, said:
“Ageism is the most widespread form of discrimination in the UK and is incredibly damaging for us as individuals and for wider society. That is why the Centre for Ageing Better welcomes the Women and Equalities Committee report and urges the government and relevant bodies to action the report’s recommendations as soon as possible.
“We are pleased to see the committee recognise that existing age discrimination protections are inadequate and rarely enforced. Since we founded the country’s first national anti-ageism campaign last year, Age Without Limits, we have been inundated with people telling us how they have been phased out from employment and opportunity by ageism. Tackling age-based prejudice will allow millions more people, now and in the future, to fully realise their potential as they get older - to the benefit of themselves as well as employers and the economy more widely.
“By highlighting how widespread ageism is in this country, and how the solutions lie across the responsibilities of numerous government departments, the report makes a strong argument for an independent Commissioner for Older People and Ageing in England who can champion the rights of all of us as we age and ensure policymaking considers the needs of England's ageing population. Wales and Northern Ireland already have commissioners who are improving the lives of older people and protecting their rights. It is time for the inequality experienced by England’s older population to end.
“We all have a role to play in tackling negative treatment of people because of age, by learning to notice ageism in action and challenging it to help change society for the benefit of us all. But because of the considerable influence of the media and advertising in shaping ageist attitudes, it is vital we see significant sectoral change which we hope can be shaped by industry watchdogs and regulators. “The breadth of this report in highlighting ageist stereotypes in the media and advertising, digital exclusion, inadequate and rarely enforced age discrimination protections and an insufficient government focus on ageing just shows how embedded ageism is within our society and why we need urgent action to help everyone to age without the limits of ageism.”
