Class War by Birthday: How Labour Is Cutting Off Lifelong Learning at 60

Labour’s Learning Lockout: Why Is the Party Shutting Doors on the Over-60s?

“Education is the best provision for the old.” – Aristotle

A timely quote, especially when you realise that staying mentally active — through learning, challenging the mind, and trying new things — is linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The science calls it “cognitive reserve”: the brain’s ability to withstand damage and delay decline.

What a life saver. And what a money saver. Dementia care costs anywhere from £28,700 to £80,500 a year depending on severity. So why aren’t we doing everything we can to keep minds sharp and spirits active?

Even setting that aside — imagine you’ve reached 60. You’ve grafted your whole life, but your body’s finally had enough. You need a less physical job. You need retraining. There’s 17 more years of work ahead of you, and retirement is galloping towards 70. But you’ll need a qualification. You’ll need a student loan.

Think again.

“Sorry, grandad — the Treasury says you’re past it.”

This is the logic of a government that claims to stand for opportunity while quietly bolting shut the doors to lifelong learning. A party that once chanted “education, education, education” now mumbles “no, no, no” when the learner in question has grey hair.

In a move that would make Thatcher’s ghost crack a grin, our Labour government has decided that publicly funded education — the very ladder that lifted working-class kids into better lives — should come with an expiry date. Like a pint of milk, your right to learn curdles at 60.

The new student finance overhaul will scrap what they call a “loophole” — the right of people over 60 to take out tuition loans. Since 2019, just 4,648 people over 60 have accessed these loans — some even studying fine art or animation in their eighties. A rounding error in the budget, but apparently a red flag for the bean counters at the Department for Education.

Because student loan repayments only kick in once earnings go above £25,000, and are set at 9% over that threshold, the Treasury says many older learners won’t pay the money back. So what? That logic treats education like a vending machine: money in, productivity out. It has no concept of public good, only private return.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about saving money. It’s about narrowing the scope of who gets to learn, and when. It’s about drawing a hard line under people’s lives at the very point they might most need change, fulfilment, or reinvention.

Another Broken Promise: How Labour Abandoned Lifelong Learning

Labour is pressing ahead with the “Lifelong Learning Entitlement,” originally announced under Boris Johnson in 2020. It’s due to start in 2027 after delays by both Tories and Labour. It promises four years’ worth of tuition fee loans for post-18 education — unless you’re over 60, in which case, tough luck.

Here’s the kicker: those most likely to need retraining — workers whose bodies are broken from decades of physical graft — are the very people being denied it. The government calls this “fairness to the taxpayer.” We call it ageist, classist, and penny-pinching in the most short-sighted way.

And while we’re at it, let’s talk about that “taxpayer.” You know, the same people now being shut out of the education system — even though they spent 40 years being the taxpayer. Many of them helped build those schools and colleges in the first place. But now that they want a place inside, the doors are closed.

The real “loophole” isn’t older people studying at university. It’s how Labour has managed to rebrand itself as the party of working people while pushing policies that would have embarrassed the Tories a decade ago.

“They won’t pay it back,” mutter the accountants. Yet this same government wrote off billions in COVID loan fraud and hands out tax breaks like sweets to corporations and landlords. What’s the real message here? That poor people over 60 should know their place — and stay in it.

If it’s about fiscal responsibility, let’s talk about the £11bn lost to tax dodging last year. Or the £27bn in quantitative easing pumped into banks. But no — let’s instead hound pensioners who dare to take a fine art course.

As Susan Pember of HOLEX rightly said: “It draws a hard line which says that some people are too old to learn.”

Let’s be honest. This is not a policy. It’s a punishment. It’s a message dressed up in numbers:

“If you’re not profitable, you’re not worth educating.”

So much for dignity in later life. So much for social mobility. So much for Labour’s claims to be the party of the community.

That’s the truth of it. An educated working class over 60 is dangerous. They remember. They remember when the railways were public, when housing was affordable, when unions had teeth. Give them qualifications and they might start asking difficult questions — or worse, leading movements.

The Alternative They Won’t Consider

What if we valued education as a public good?

What if an 80-year-old studying animation was seen not as a cost, but a cultural asset?

What if education was treated not as a commodity, but a human right?

Here’s what we could do:

• Tax the obscene profits of corporations who benefit from a skilled workforce
• Introduce a wealth tax to fund universal education
• Scrap tuition fees altogether — as Scotland has, and as Germany does for everyone, regardless of age

Germany — the most productive economy in Europe — offers free education from cradle to grave. They understand that lifelong learning builds social resilience and national prosperity. We, by contrast, cap it at 60 and call it progress.

Tried and Tested Models

Meanwhile, in Germany – you know, that country with one of Europe’s strongest economies – university state education is free. Yes, FREE.

That’s right, the country’s university state education system is, remarkably, free. Students pay a nominal semester fee of around £340 to cover administrative costs and public transport. This approach stands in stark contrast to the UK’s profit-driven model of higher education.

It’s time to confront the reality: our current student finance system is broken. It’s not creating opportunities; it’s crushing them. By saddling young people with exorbitant debt, we’re hindering their ability to start families, buy homes, and fully participate in society.

Following Germany’s lead, the UK should also explore the potential of a more comprehensive vocational training model. Such a system would provide students with practical skills and experience, making them more attractive to employers and reducing the reliance on university degrees for all.

By adopting a more equitable and accessible approach to education, the UK can create a brighter future for its young people and strengthen its economy. It’s time to invest in our youth, not burden them with debt.

The Real Message

To those over 60:
“Your dreams are too expensive. You’ve had your shot. Be quiet and carry on.”

To the rest of us:
“Don’t get ideas above your station. The clock’s ticking.”

This isn’t policy.
This is austerity wrapped in birthday wrapping paper.
This is class war with a candle on top — and Labour are serving it with a smile.

Final Thought:
A society that treats its elders as disposable is a society in decay. And if Labour won’t fight for them, who will?

Paul Knaggs