Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons 74 is the maximum age at which occupational data include a teacher death.

Occupational mortality analyses, based on national data from death certificates, do not include deaths beyond age 74, whether among former teachers or any other occupation. This is because it is known that the accuracy of occupation information recorded on death certificates declines for older ages so currently the data on the last occupation of the deceased is only coded for those aged 16 to 74 in England and Wales.

There are currently no plans to increase the maximum age for which information about last occupation of the deceased – whether for teachers or any other occupation – is included in national data for England and Wales.