Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Employment Equality (Insurance Etc)

22 March 2023 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Natalie Elphicke Con Dover

EmploymentWomen & Equalities

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Natalie Elphicke raised concerns about employment equality (insurance etc) in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • Proposed Bill aims to amend Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010 to prevent age-based discrimination in health and insurance employment benefits.
  • Eurotunnel's practice of terminating health and insurance benefits for workers upon reaching pensionable age was cited as an example of current discriminatory practices.
  • Highlighting the case of Stephen Horne, who continued working but was denied benefits solely due to age, illustrating the issue of age-based discrimination.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Natalie Elphicke Con Dover

Proposed a Bill to amend Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010, arguing that nearly 1.5 million people over the age of 65 are working and contributing significantly to sectors like healthcare, social work, education, car industry, and technical sectors. The current law allows employers to discriminate on the basis of age regarding health and insurance employment benefits. This includes Eurotunnel's practice of terminating health insurance and death-in-service benefits for workers reaching their pensionable age. Elphicke highlighted an example of a constituent, Stephen Horne, who was denied these benefits despite continuing his work without change, thus facing discrimination solely based on age. She emphasised that treating older workers fairly will encourage them to stay in the workforce longer and benefit companies by retaining valuable skills.

Other contributors (1)
  • Natalie Elphicke Con Dover

    Called for an amendment to prohibit age discrimination concerning insurance or financial services. Emphasised the unfairness and legal rights of employers allowing such practices, citing a constituent's case where health and death-in-service benefits were terminated at retirement age despite continued employment. Advocated for equal treatment in workplace benefits and cited successful precedents with maternity leave reforms.

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