The move was long overdue and hopefully the workplace is now much more welcoming to older workers. This change does not mean anyone has to be forced to work longer. But it does mean that employers cannot force people to stop, if they are perfectly good at their jobs and willing and able to work.
The fact is that people are simply not 'old' or 'past it' any more in their 60s and, after all the tremendous advances in healthcare and labour practices, there is no reason why those who want to keep working should be forced out just on the grounds of their age.
– Ros Altmann, director-general of over-50s group Saga
If you retire early, or stop work due to redundancy, ill-health or other reasons, your State Pension and other pensions you're entitled to may be affected.
Find out if you can have enough to live on in retirement on the Directgov website.
We hope that now it is illegal to force someone out of their job simply because they are 65 or over, it will make employers look beyond their staff's date of birth, objectively assess their skills and contributions and trigger a more positive and realistic attitude to older people.
– Michelle Mitchell, charity director general of Age UK
Workers can no longer be forced to retire at the age of 65 or over after today, in a move hailed as a "major milestone" by age equality campaigners.
Workes can no longer be forced to retire at the age of 65 Credit: PA Wire
Today marks the final day that employers can compel workers to retire under such rules, following the abolition of the Default Retirement Age (DRA) last year.
