| A spokesman for an old folks’ charity advised today that over-75s planning a trip in the summer should start searching now for insurance, otherwise they could end up being excluded, or having to pay more insurance than their holiday is worth.
Ian Borthwick, of Age Concern Scotland in Dundee, said more and more travel and insurance companies were practising age discrimination, despite pensioners living longer and remaining healthy.
A 76-year-old local woman planning a five day trip to Prague next month was shocked to find the company with whom she has house and buildings insurance told her bluntly that their cut-off point was 75, and refused to insure her.
A trawl around a number of major companies produced quotes which ranged from £280-£250 — more than her holiday was costing.
A spokesman for one of the country’s leading travel companies said more and more travel shops were putting an age bar on their insurances.
“It’s very difficult now to find a travel company which provides insurance for over 75s and, if it can be obtained, often the costs are horrendous. Even the prices through the Internet have risen over the past year, and that does not include extra loading if there is an existing medical condition.”
Ramsay World Travel is one of the few locally which has a higher age bar, at 79, but even then their quote is basic, and pensioners would have to go online to the company’s broker if there is a medical condition to consider, which can often hike the premium a great deal higher.
Mr Borthwick, whose charity does provide insurance without an age limit, said, “An arbitrary cut-off point is unfair and discriminatory, and there is a strong element of that running through the insurance companies.
“In addition, there is a problem for older people in that many in their 70s do not have access to, or experience of, the Internet.
“What I would say is that if a pensioner over 75 is planning an overseas trip in the summer, they should start looking now for reasonable insurance.” |
