Older travellers are finding it more difficult to get travel insurance as insurers refuse to offer them cover, new analysis has found.
Research by Which? found that a quarter of firms who offer travel insurance refuse to supply cover for the over-60s, whilst 90 per cent won’t insure the over-80s. Even single-trip policies were found to be a problem, with 86 per cent having an upper age limit and fewer than 30 per cent covering the over-80s.
The study found that even when the elderly can get travel insurance, their premiums are significantly higher, with the cost of some policies tripling instantly as soon as someone turns 66.
Which? found that older travellers can get the best deals on travel insurance by shopping online. However, this isn’t ideal for this age group as six in ten of those aged over 65 have never used the internet.
Which? is currently liaising with the government over proposals which would mean insurers would have to provide evidence for higher premiums for older people and could not rely on the presumption that older people are more likely to need to make a claim.
Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director, said, “It’s absurd that you could wake up one morning and suddenly be three times more expensive to insure. Older travellers are finding it increasingly difficult to get cover or are priced out of travelling altogether.
“Insurers should take a more common sense approach and look at factors other than age when setting premiums," he added.
