§ Mr. Beithasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the income tax age allowance for women is fixed at 65 rather than at the retirement age of 60 years.
§ Mr. RidleyThe justification for age allowance is not retirement as such, but the reduction in taxable capacity that comes with old age, because of the extra costs and expenses that the elderly incur compared with other taxpayers. As there is no evidence that this happens at an earlier age for women than for men, successive Governments have taken the view that the qualifying age of 65 should be the same for both.