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Age: Discrimination

Asked by Leigh InghamLabourWomen and EqualitiesTabled Answered 18 March 2025UIN 37835

The question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Equality Act 2010 in tackling age discrimination in job applications.

Answered by Sir Stephen Timms

The Equality Act 2010 has strong protections that enable people to challenge age discrimination across a range of fields, including recruitment processes. Where age discrimination cannot be objectively justified and is unlawful, individuals can seek redress in the courts or, where relevant, at an employment tribunal.

We would encourage larger employers to monitor their recruitment processes, including job applications in the context of relevant protected characteristics, as a useful indicator of the strength of their compliance with the 2010 Act. More widely, the Government's £240 million Get Britain Working package will improve support for people who are economically inactive, unemployed, or want to develop their careers.

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