2.1 The Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 is a key piece of legislation in the UK that protects individuals from unfair treatment and promotes a fair and more equal society. It brought together numerous of anti-discrimination legislation into one single Act, making the law easier to understand and apply. (GOV.UK, 2013)

The Act protects people based on nine protected characteristics, as seen in Figure 8 and listed below.

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Figure 8: Equality Act 2010 nine protected characteristics

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Graphic showing the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. Text reads: ‘Equality Act 2010 – 9 Protected characteristics’. The nine characteristics are displayed with icons: Age, Disability, Gender reassignment, Marriage and civil partnership, Pregnancy and maternity, Race, Sexual orientation, Religion and belief, and Sex.

Figure 8: Equality Act 2010 nine protected characteristics

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race
• Sexual orientation
• Religion and belief
• Sex

The Equality Act 2010 states that the providers of goods and services and employers should not discriminate - or offer inferior services or treatment - on the basis of a protected characteristic.

Age is one of these protected characteristics. This means that shops, GPs, hospitals, transport services, public toilets, colleges, universities and so on cannot discriminate against somebody based on their age.