Stan Green was sick of being clobbered with the high cost of car cover. At 89, he drives his five-year-old 1.2-litre Ford Fiesta only to see friends and run errands, and hasn’t made a claim since 2006. So when his latest quote for insurance came in at £1,500 — more than treble the £400 he paid just nine years ago — he decided it was time to ditch the big-name insurer he’d been loyal to and shop around. But that’s when he discovered drivers can be penalised simply because of their age. First, he called over-50s insurer Rias in the hope a quick, cheap offer from a specialist would save him a lot of time and bother — but staff wouldn’t even offer him a quote. Taken aback, he phoned giant insurance broker Swinton — and was flabbergasted to be told it would set him back £12,228 a year. It’s the kind of price you’d wouldn’t expect even a reckless young driver to face.

Stan, who has driven since 1943, says: ‘I was shocked. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Being told I’d have to pay more than £1,000 a month with Swinton, I thought I’d misheard and it must be the annual cost. ‘With Rias, everything was fine until it got to my postcode, when I was told I could not be insured. I’ve lived at this address for 60 years and never had problems before.’ Insurers raise prices if an area is plagued by crime. But Edgbaston, where Stan lives, is one of Birmingham’s most sought-after areas.Other quotes Stan was given ranged from £1,500 with LV= up to £2,300 from the Post Office. His task was not made any easier by having to rely on the phone. Like millions of older people, he doesn’t use the internet and so can’t use a comparison website. Finally, Stan, a widower, found a policy for £837 a year with Churchill — half the price of the quote from his existing provider.....Read more here