diff --git a/app/models/validations/household_validations.rb b/app/models/validations/household_validations.rb
index 56982f65b..d361e15a1 100644
--- a/app/models/validations/household_validations.rb
+++ b/app/models/validations/household_validations.rb
@@ -63,11 +63,7 @@ module Validations::HouseholdValidations
   end
 
   def validate_person_1_age(record)
-    return unless record.age1
-
-    if !record.age1.is_a?(Integer) || record.age1 < 16 || record.age1 > 120
-      record.errors.add :age1, I18n.t("validations.household.age.over_16")
-    end
+    validate_person_age(record, 1, 16)
   end
 
   def validate_person_1_economic(record)
@@ -110,12 +106,18 @@ private
     end
   end
 
-  def validate_person_age(record, person_num)
+  def validate_person_age(record, person_num, lower_bound = 1)
     age = record.public_send("age#{person_num}")
     return unless age
 
-    if !age.is_a?(Integer) || age < 1 || age > 120
-      record.errors.add "age#{person_num}".to_sym, I18n.t("validations.household.age.must_be_valid")
+    begin
+      Integer(record.public_send("age#{person_num}_before_type_cast"))
+    rescue ArgumentError
+      record.errors.add "age#{person_num}".to_sym, I18n.t("validations.household.age.must_be_valid", lower_bound: lower_bound)
+    end
+
+    if age < lower_bound || age > 120
+      record.errors.add "age#{person_num}".to_sym, I18n.t("validations.household.age.must_be_valid", lower_bound: lower_bound)
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 9163aaefd..6047440be 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -86,8 +86,7 @@ en:
       preg_occ:
         no_female: "You must answer no as there are no female tenants aged 16-50 in the property"
       age:
-        over_16: "Tenant age must be an integer between 16 and 120"
-        must_be_valid: "Tenant age must be an integer between 0 and 120"
+        must_be_valid: "Tenant age must be an integer between %{lower_bound} and 120"
         retired_male: "Male tenant who is retired must be 65 or over"
         retired_female: "Female tenant who is retired must be 60 or over"
       ecstat: