Memorandum from Age Concern England (DCH
133)
INTRODUCTION
1. Age Concern England (the National Council
on Ageing) ("ACE") is a registered charity which brings
together Age Concern organisations working at a local level and
100 national bodies, including charities, professional bodies
and representational groups with an interest in older people and
ageing issues. Through our national information line, which receives
285,000 telephone and postal enquiries a year, and the information
and advice services offered by local Age Concern organisations,
we are in day to day contact with older people and their concerns.
2. As an "umbrella" body we are
currently involved in discussions and consultations to ensure
that we are able to reflect the views of other organisations under
this umbrella which may wish us to submit evidence on their behalf.
We therefore expect to follow this submission with a later submission,
to be sent before 15 July, and hope that the Committee will be
able to take that into account.
MEANING OF
"CHARITABLE PURPOSE"
3. The main point which we wish to raise
in this submission relates to the wording of clause 2(2)(j) of
the Bill which reads:
"the relief of those in need,
by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship
or other disadvantage."
We regard this as unsatisfactory in relation
to charities for older people for three main reasons:
3.1 It uses the concept of relief of need
rather than emphasising the positive in terms of advancement.
Of the 11 purposes listed at clause 2(2)(a)-(k), only this one
and (a)—the prevention and relief of poverty—use the
word "relief". All the others start "the advancement
of . . ." In relation to poverty, the introduction for the
first time of "prevention" is a widening; much of the
work Age Concern does is preventive.
The definition suggested in the earlier Review
Private Action, Public Benefit was "Social and community
advancement" which had a footnote "including the care,
support and protection of the aged, people with a disability,
children and young people". We do not know why this was felt
to be unsatisfactory, although Age Concerns generally dislike
the term "the aged", regarding it as sounding somewhat
old-fashioned and impersonal, and prefer the term "older
people".
3.2 "Age" unlike the other items
in the list in (j) is something that everyone has. Therefore we
do not think it makes sense to talk about those in need by reason
of age unless what is meant is old age. Otherwise, like age discrimination
legislation, it would be age-neutral and would not refer specifically
to charities for older people.
3.3 Even if by "age" is understood
"old age", it is placed in a list where, grammatically,
it is, along with "youth", regarded as a "disadvantage".
Most people would not regard youth as a disadvantage; some might
regard old age as a disadvantage but Age Concern would not accept
that old age (or being an older person) is, in itself, a disadvantage.
This could encourage age discrimination. In any case it is not
clear what is meant by a "disadvantage"—this could
be very wide (is it a disadvantage to be left-handed in a predominantly
right-handed world?). Presumably what is meant is a significant
disadvantage in line with the others listed (apart from "youth")
but this reinforces the problem of the list including "age".
We note that in relation to ill-health, there is also listed separately
at (d) "the advancement of health". This is the positive
counterpart to relieving or preventing ill-health, and similarly
Age Concern often wishes to emphasise the positive value of support
for older people as well as helping those who are frail and vulnerable.
CONCLUSION
4. As mentioned above we expect to make
a further submission before 15 July and this may include further
comments on the points made at 3 above, including a suggested
re-wording, as well as points arising from other clauses of the
Bill.
June 2004
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