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Help The Aged criticises new banking code

Your Money
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Your Money
Posted:
Updated:
01/04/2008

Help The Aged has reacted angrily to the new banking code which doesn’t take on board suggestions that were made regarding credit applications for older people.

Kate Jopling, head of public affairs at Help the Aged, said: “The new banking code’s ‘enhanced promise’ to treat customers fairly and reasonably is in stark contradiction to the blatantly ageist attitudes of the code sponsors.

“In what amounts to a deplorable decision, the British Bankers Association, the Building Societies Association and APACS have refused to accept the independent reviewers’ recommendation to end the practice of rejecting applications for credit on the grounds of age.

“This negative response demonstrates starkly why legislation to ban age discrimination in the provision of goods and services is so important. It is both unacceptable and indefensible for commercial organisations to discriminate solely and blatantly on the grounds of age in the 21st century. It is archaic, misguided and wrong.

“Older people will be dismayed and angry at the ‘stick in the mud’ attitude of the banks. Help the Aged had hoped that banks would embrace age equality, but it is obvious that only legislation to outlaw such out-dated practices will deliver for older customers who have a right to fair provision of goods and services.”


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