A recent case in the High Court in England has confirmed that the UK default retirement age of 65 is lawful.  Under the current legislation, an employer can force an employee to retire at 65 even if the employee does not wish to.  That end result is completely at odds with the intentions of the Age Discrimination Legislation.  However, as a result of the Court Case, the Government has brought forward the review of the default retirement age to 2010.   Forced retirement at 65 is really unsustainable nowadays as many older people want to work longer both to top up poorly performing pensions and because their health allows them to continue.   Also, the current rules clash with the Government’s policy of raising the age when men and women can claim a state pension which is increasing to 66 in 2024, to 67 in 2034 and 68 in 2044.  

Contact Tony Dawson (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if you want further advice on this complex subject.