Amid recent concerns that the elderly members of the population are being discriminated against when it comes to booking their travel insurance policy, the government have announced plans to eradicate discrimination of this type.

This means that insurance brokers will not be able to place a limit on the age of their customers, or put up prices based on the age of the policy holder, as many insurers have been doing.

According to Help the Aged, a massive 95 per cent of travel insurers had an upper age limit on their policies, making it very difficult for older travellers to find an appropriate policy within their price range.

Many elderly travellers pointed out that despite their advancing years, they had never had any serious health problems and were in some ways less likely to have an accident on holiday due to their cautious nature.

Others were outraged to find that after having held a policy with a company for years, which they renewed each time they took a holiday, they were told that they could no longer have that policy, or indeed, any policy with that company as they had reached a certain age,despite never having made a claim.

With this evidence coming to light, assisted by charities which support the elderly such as Help the Aged and Age Concern, the government have agreed to review equality laws in such situations.

Equality minister Harriet Harman is currently on the case, working on preparing a new equalities bill which will work to expand age discrimination laws beyond just the workplace.

The Association of British Insurers has disputed the fact that the way in which travel insurance for the elderly is priced and assessed is discriminatory. They claim that as with any type of insurance, the risk to the insurer is assessed and an appropriate price quoted.

In some cases, as with any type of insurance, the risk is considered too great and no policy can be provided. They point to evidence that elderly customers, that is, customers over 65, are far more likely to make a claim than a policyholder under 50 years of age.

And the older which a policyholder becomes, even after the age of 65, the risk increases further. The Association of British Insurers insist that new anti discrimination laws would make it impossible for insurers to conduct realistic risk assessment and could lead to big losses.

In the end of course, rather than swallow the losses, higher risks and costs to insurance companies would be passed on to the customers. If they are unable to raise the price solely for high risk elderly travellers, then they will have to raise the price for everyone in order to continue to be profitable.

A spokesman from the Association of British Insurers, said that he felt that the new laws were simply not fair or viable for insurance companies and their customers who would end up swallowing higher premiums.

He said that the very nature of insurance of any kind, was that it reflects the risk involved and this legislation, although well meant, would prevent insurers from doing that.