Senior railcard - is this age discrimination?

katejo

troubrs said:

I bought a senior railcard for myself and an 18-25 railcard for my daughter - same time . Same price each.
But is this discrimination?
For me to buy a return to London during peak time I get no discount on a return ticket using my senior railcard, paying £36.20 - if I buy 2 singles I can get the cost down to £33.20.

Yet my daughter can travel at the same time and pay £24.10, getting 1/3 off using her 18-25 card.

a younger colleague of mine using their 26-30 railcard also paid only £24.10

This feels like I’m being discriminated against for my age (ie being over 60).

what’s everyone’s thoughts?

There was something in the news this week about someone being fined for using their young person Railcard too early in the day. They had bought an Anytime ticket. 

Northern_Wanderer

Yes it is, as at my age I don't get ANY benefits/ discounts like all the other age groups do with a rail card! Different card, different discount rate....

MacPingu1986

zagfles said:

MacPingu1986 said:

Yes this is age discrimination but not all forms of age discrimination are unlawful. If the discrimination is a "proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim", it is not unlawful (see s13(2)) of Equality Act). 

Age restricted railcards existed long before the Equality Act. It's got nothing to do with that. 

Zagfles, I was explaining how the present offering of railcards remains compliant with current equalities/age discrimination legislation (which since 2010 has been the Equalities Act).

Andy_L

katejo said:

troubrs said:

I bought a senior railcard for myself and an 18-25 railcard for my daughter - same time . Same price each.
But is this discrimination?
For me to buy a return to London during peak time I get no discount on a return ticket using my senior railcard, paying £36.20 - if I buy 2 singles I can get the cost down to £33.20.

Yet my daughter can travel at the same time and pay £24.10, getting 1/3 off using her 18-25 card.

a younger colleague of mine using their 26-30 railcard also paid only £24.10

This feels like I’m being discriminated against for my age (ie being over 60).

what’s everyone’s thoughts?

There was something in the news this week about someone being fined for using their young person Railcard too early in the day. They had bought an Anytime ticket. 

Young persons railcard, unlike the senior one, doesn't have time restrictions (the OP's discrimination point). It does have a minimum £12 fare during peak but buying an anytime ticket with the card should have worked that out

Wyndham

Northern_Wanderer said:

Yes it is, as at my age I don't get ANY benefits/ discounts like all the other age groups do with a rail card! Different card, different discount rate....

If you have a friend, the Two Together railcard is worth considering. Two of us went to London, and basically saved enough to pay for the card and still saved money overall on that one trip. It took me far too long to realise the benefits of that railcard!

I think for the more general point, rail pricing is such a 'dark art' anyway that I'm not surprised there is a price difference between the two railcards. I sometimes think they make the prices up as they go along!

MilesT6060842

zagfles said:

Of course it's discrimination. What would someone aged 50 have to pay?

If you have railcards only available to certain age ranges that's obviously age discrimination, but presumably legal otherwise someone would have taken them to court over it. 

Some train operating companies have an over 50's card (e.g. Greater Anglia).  Similar T&C to Senior, and discount isn't as good (20% discount on advance purchase online), although better than Network card on weekdays (no minimum fare).   [Gold Card also has slightly better T&C to Network I think, but only available as a side benefit to a annual rail season ticket in the south east]

What I find annoying about Railcards is that you can't swap a Network for a Senior "mid term" if you reach 60 part way through an annual Network Card.  To minimise my spend therefore I will probably defer getting a senior and making do with a Network and GA Club 50 until they get to term, unless a Senior would pay back on first usage for an exceptional trip