Glimmer of hope for older people’s commissioner role in England after latest government announcement

Ageing Better is among a number of charities expressing hope that the government could still create a new independent post to ensure government focuses on issues surrounding older people and ageing after its latest announcement today. 

While we are disappointed the government has not made a more fulsome commitment to creating a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing, we are hopeful that the option remains on the table for future consideration.  

The charity has been campaigning alongside Independent Age, Age UK and the National Pensioners Convention to champion the rights of older people and ensure policymaking considers the needs of England's ageing population.  

More than 70 organisations have backed our call alongside a petition of more than 36,000 signatures that was delivered to political party leaders last April. 

The Women and Equalities Committee also endorsed our call in their report on the Rights of Older People which was published in February.  

In its response to the report published today, the government has said they will consider the experience and effectiveness of the Commissioner for Older people in Wales, with any evaluation, lessons learned or other evidence informing their thinking on any further action that might be taken in England, including the possible use of Older People’s Champions at local or regional levels.  

Responding to the government’s announcement today, Dr Carole Easton OBE, Chief Executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, said:

“It is disappointing that the government has not taken up this golden opportunity to be more proactive in establishing a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing in England. But we take hope that the option is not being taken off the table and that the government is open to exploring the possibility.  

“We know that the idea of the commissioner is popular with the public, including nine in ten older people, and that the commissioner roles for Wales and Northern Ireland are very effective advocates for older people’s rights. It’s high time that older people in England had the same champion standing up for them.      

“We welcome the government’s suggestion of expanding the use of Older People’s Champions throughout local and regional levels. We know these champions can be extremely effective in ensuring age equality is considered throughout local authorities’ strategy and planning processes. We see these roles as complementary to a commissioner overseeing all of England including national government, but we do also need more champions of older people’s rights at all levels of government.   

“While the government believes the Equality Act 2010 already provides a strong framework for protecting older people from discrimination, the evidence from our Age Without Limits campaign suggests otherwise. Ageism is the most widespread form of discrimination in the UK, half of people over 50 experience negative treatment because of their age impacting every area of people’s lives. We need urgent and decisive action to tackle this rife prejudice.   

“The Women and Equalities Committee could not have made clearer the urgency and magnitude of this issue. They rightly pointed out the need for greater legal protections against age discrimination and for a cross-government approach to our growing ageing population. The Committee was right to highlight how age is often the protected characteristic that gets overlooked and the dangers of digital exclusion. The country deserves a more coordinated approach to tackling these important issues.  

“We’re grateful to the Women and Equalities Committee for their vital work and we encourage them to continue to shine a light on the many harmful aspects of ageism within our society. We assure them from experience, they will not be short on issues to explore.  

“We are hopeful that there might be more positive action from industry regulators such as the ASA and IPSO who were also highlighted by the Women and Equalities Committee Report and we await their responses with interest.  

“At Ageing Better, we will continue to advocate for a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing with our campaign partners because we know this issue is too important to push into the long grass. We will not allow later life to be a time of reduced opportunity and reduced circumstances. Better planning and more long-term thinking can unlock so much untapped potential within our ageing population, for the good of all of society.”