They're forcing kids to stay in school till their 17

[Bruce Wayne]

Raising the retirement age to 72 is a ludicrous idea. There is a big difference between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy. People live longer yes, but that doesn't mean they're fit to work on a regular basis.

A lot of work these days requires no more physical effort than pushing a few keys. Suspect most could do that quite easily. Besides which, there is much evidence to show that working is very healthy for someones mental well being. You keep your brain active and maintain good social activity, both of which are good at keeping senility at bay.

 

[chicoazul]

MODS??

Hahaha.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

Raising the retirement age to 72 is a ludicrous idea. There is a big difference between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy. People live longer yes, but that doesn't mean they're fit to work on a regular basis.

Is the right answer.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Is the right answer.

Out of interest, what is that difference?

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

I wish I was under 30 mate, those years are a distant memory.

There's not enough money in the pot, you are quite right.

Why is this? People live much longer than they did when the pensions sytem was first set up, so we have many more people living to an older age, all getting a pension income.

You can't pay each person less, some of them are starving or freezing to death as it is; you can't make them pay in more, because they've already reached the state pension entitlement age and therefore the vast majority no longer work; the only option I can think of is to delay the point at which the state pension age kicks in. If you want everyone currently working to pay more NI that's fine, except it doesn't solve the current problem because those CURRENTLY claiming a pension paid in what they paid in, and you can't change that without a time machine.

As life expectancy rises, the state pension age HAS to rise or eventually the system simply runs out of cash. The current problem exists precisely because NI contributions and the state pension age have not kept pace with the steady rise in life expectancy.

The Govt have the same sort of pensions black hole that many private companies had in the 90's. What happened thne? The companies involved had to plug the gap & change their future pension policy, which is exactly what the Govt is going to have to do, divert funds from other areas or increase taxation - to fund the shortfall & ensure that future generations are contributing enough to fund their old age moving forwards.

Which in fairness is what's about to happen to a point, with the Automatic Enrolment scheme that's currently being rolled out.

The 'answer' should never be to simply increase retirement age, as our work / life balance in this country is already crap compared to our European cousins, adding further years onto our already over worked lives, will soon sort out the increased longevity issue..........

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

Out of interest, what is that difference?

Simple really.

People are living longer - yes, but their active lives are not really increasing at all. A person who lives to 95 that 20 years ago might have gone at 90, has had an extra 5 years of doddery existence, they'll have undoubtedly been frail, relatively weak, not overly active etc etc. for that period of incremental life.

So when people talk about the increase in life expectancy they're often rolling in an assumption that there's many more years of active existence that go with it, which is a misnomer.

 

[roydo]

The Govt have the same sort of pensions black hole that many private companies had in the 90's. What happened thne? The companies involved had to plug the gap & change their future pension policy, which is exactly what the Govt is going to have to do, divert funds from other areas or increase taxation - to fund the shortfall & ensure that future generations are contributing enough to fund their old age moving forwards.

Which in fairness is what's about to happen to a point, with the Automatic Enrolment scheme that's currently being rolled out.

The 'answer' should never be to simply increase retirement age, as our work / life balance in this country is already crap compared to our European cousins, adding further years onto our already over worked lives, will soon sort out the increased longevity issue..........

I honest to god never thought I would see that phrase on GOT. Ever. Good on you.

 

[Bungle]

MODS??

haha oh Brucey

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Simple really.

People are living longer - yes, but their active lives are not really increasing at all. A person who lives to 95 that 20 years ago might have gone at 90, has had an extra 5 years of doddery existence, they'll have undoubtedly been frail, relatively weak, not overly active etc etc. for that period of incremental life.

So when people talk about the increase in life expectancy they're often rolling in an assumption that there's many more years of active existence that go with it, which is a misnomer.

I understand the theory, I just wondered if there was any evidence to back it up that people won't be capable of working until they're 72 (or whatever age).

I mean no one seems to have told these guys

http://www.yourencore.com/

 

[Pat's Van]

I understand the theory, I just wondered if there was any evidence to back it up that people won't be capable of working until they're 72 (or whatever age).

I mean no one seems to have told these guys

http://www.yourencore.com/

don't click the link chums, it's 2 badgers humping !!

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

I understand the theory, I just wondered if there was any evidence to back it up that people won't be capable of working until they're 72 (or whatever age).

I mean no one seems to have told these guys

http://www.yourencore.com/

The capability factor is only one part of it though & that would vary by individual & what job they actually did.

The prime issue for me is whether after a lifetime of work that we should be expecting people post 70 to continue on in the workplace. Do people not deserve an actual period of retirement before their bodies reduce their ability to enjoy the time freedom?

I think the proposed 'solving' of the pension issue, by merely increasing the retirement age, is the talk of accountants, civil servants & politicians who wouldn't be affected.......

 

[Brennan]

I understand the theory, I just wondered if there was any evidence to back it up that people won't be capable of working until they're 72 (or whatever age).

I mean no one seems to have told these guys

http://www.yourencore.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23411975

 

[Furey1878]

Surely retirement age is subjective?

I mean 72 year old dude 1 may be completely fine to work whereas another 72 year old dude 2 may not.

I understand the need for a retirement age in the respect that younger people need the work too, but surely one fixed age for everyone isn't the best of ideas... at least IMO anyway.

Back on topic, School isn't for everyone so having the choice at 16 whether or not you want to carry on seems the best for me.