Default retirement age abolished

Implementation date: 6 April 2011

Employers are prohibited from issuing new notifications of retirement using the default retirement age and the statutory retirement procedure is abolished. Employers that wish to prescribe a compulsory retirement age may do so only if it is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. A transitional period applies to notifications of retirement issued on or before 5 April 2011 where the employee reaches the age of 65 on or before 30 September 2011. Employers may no longer prohibit job applicants from applying for a job if they are aged 65 or over, or are within six months of the age of 65. However, employers may limit access to group-risk insured benefits to people aged under 65. Read the Employment Equality (Repeal of Retirement Age Provisions) Regulations 2011 (SI 2011/1069) (PDF format, 252K) on the UK legislation website.
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