Ageism is “widespread and culturally embedded” in the UK, with discrimination laws currently “failing” older people, according to a report by the Women and Equalities Committee. The committee concluded that the UK has a “pervasively ageist culture” which is often seen as less serious than other forms of discrimination.
There are currently 11 million people aged 65 or older in England and Wales, including over half a million aged over 90, and these numbers are expected to rise. The MPs warned that not enough is being done in England to address the challenges faced by older people, contrasting the situation with Wales, which has an Older People’s Commissioner.
The report highlighted the high risk of digital exclusion for many older people as services move online, branding it a “considerable failure of government” that the UK’s digital inclusion strategy has not been updated in over a decade. It called for a new strategy with locally delivered digital skills provision and offline alternatives.
On legal protections, the MPs said discrimination law and the Public Sector Equality Duty “are failing older people”, with protections “inadequate and rarely enforced”. They urged the government to commission a review of age discrimination protections and called on regulators to strengthen codes against ageist language and imagery.
Committee chairwoman Sarah Owen said: “The committee’s report shows clearly that age discrimination is widespread in the UK and often minimised compared to other forms of discrimination.” Caroline Abrahams of Age UK welcomed the report, stating: “Ageism is so normalised that many of us may not even recognise it, but older people themselves often do and feel belittled as a result.”
