News
ISCP members worried about rising cost of insurance
The Irish Senior Citizens’ Parliament, the voice of the older person, is very concerned to hear from our members about their worries over insurance.
Our members have reported increases in the cost of insurance as well as being denied cover based on age.
The Irish Senior Citizens’ Parliament contacted a number of insurance providers and asked for their policies in terms of providing insurance to over 65s. Out of the five large providers we contacted only two responded to our request and stated that they had no specific policies:
Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC does not have specific policies in relation to insuring different age cohorts. We treat all customers equally and fairly. The cost of motor, home and other insurance is based on a broad range of factors specific to the customer – Aviva
I wish to confirm that we do not have any specific plans for those in a particular age cohort. All Vhi Healthcare plans are available to all members and to assess the suitability of a plan for an individual member we complete a fact find in order to establish their specific needs, at which point we can then recommend a plan – Vhi
However, our members have been experiencing age relation issues, not just on cost but also on access to coverage. One of our members, Imelda from Kildare, reported that she was informed that the insurer’s underwriter would not permit offering travel insurance to any individual over 65.
In recent surveys with our members on the topics of ageism and the upcoming budget, our members informed us that they were hugely concerned about the increasing rates of insurance premiums and that insurance was an everyday worry for them. The pension has remained at €248 for 3 years making it harder for older people to pay for necessities such as home, motor and health insurance.
Tom from Wexford told us that he is paying over €5000 per year for health insurance for both him and his wife. With no pension increase, he is finding this extremely expensive.
ISCP have been advocating for an increase in the state pension in this year’s budget as well as a Report on the Cost of Ageing.
As the voice of older people, we want to hear directly from you. Please contact Head of Development Elaine Moore (development@seniors.ie) to let us know about your experiences with insurance.
Summer Series: The Role of Language in Ageism
Webinar 2: The Role of Language in Ageism
Date: 29-07-2021
Time: 3pm
This webinar, the second in our Summer Series, will explore the role of language in ageism – how people are affected and what we can do to combat it. We will be joined by:
Sue Shaw, CEO, Irish Senior Citizens’ Parliament
Paddy Connolly, CEO, Age Action
Damien Peelo, CEO, Treoir
Following presentations from our speakers we will have a Q&A to tease out the topic further.
To register for this event, go to: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/summer-series-the-role-of-language-in-ageism-tickets-163959712915
For any questions on the event, please contact Una Power at policyandcommunications@seniors.ie
Warning of Pension Related Scam Phone Calls
This week, ISCP have received reports from its members of scam calls claiming that their pensions are at risk. The calls are not automated and the caller has knowledge of the receiver’s name. They will ask for details such as PPSN and will claim that the person’s pension is at risk of suspension unless they provide the requested details.
Those we have spoken to said that the calls were very convincing but fortunately they did not give out any information. These calls come at a time when many people are also receiving automated scam calls about their PPSN being linked to criminal activity.
While the number of reports is currently low, we are warning people to be vigilant. If you are contacted by anyone who is claiming to need access to your PPSN or financial details, or who claims your pension is at risk, please follow this advice:
- If you receive a phone call, hang up and do not engage. If the person tells you that they are ringing from the Department of Social Protection, you can phone the Department or your local social welfare branch office afterwards but do not engage with the caller.
- Do not reply to emails, texts, or social media messages requesting information or bank details from you.
- REMEMBER: never disclose your private information in a text, call, email or social media request.
For more advice on fraudulent crimes, check out: https://www.garda.ie/en/crime/fraud/
For a list of all local social welfare offices, check out: https://www.gov.ie/en/directory/category/e1f4b5-intreo-offices/
Watch back: Summer Series Webinar on Women and Pensions
Recently we held our first Summer Series webinar on the topic of Women and Pensions. We were delighted to be joined by Colette Bennett of Social Justice Ireland and Sandra McCullagh of NWCI.
During this webinar our experts spoke about the issues facing women in retirement and what policy decisions should be taken to resolve those problems.
If you missed out on the webinar, do watch back our video above!