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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Who is going to pay for your state pension/ care in old age?

796 replies

itsadlibitum · 01/04/2026 15:38

Apparently birth rates are falling, and this is putting future pensions (and I would imagine general tax income) in jeopardy as the population will proportionally age.

What's the solution? Should we just write off our paid for "right" to a state pension and state support for care in older age?

Does this change your view on public investment in supporting people to have children if you otherwise thought this was a personal choice and you should support/ pay for your own children?

AIBU to think that NI contributions for "pension" is essentially government mandated mis-selling and state pension will go out the window in the next few decades?

OP posts:
dinbin · 01/04/2026 18:29

@Tutorpuzzle we moved on from that pages ago! 😆

Although I don’t believe the majority of those parents did work full time from that age. Many men will have though.

Original poster
itsadlibitum · 01/04/2026 18:29

Jane143 · 01/04/2026 18:28

According to Google it’s 83

HEALTHY life expectancy. It's how long you can expect to be living a healthy life, vs one where you are not healthy.

OP posts:
Tutorpuzzle · 01/04/2026 18:28

dinbin · 01/04/2026 16:37

Apparently birth rates are falling

Its definitely factual.

Presumably immigrants will have to fund mine otherwise we are pretty fucked.

Healthy life expectancy is overlooked as you pointed out & it’s stagnated for years so i’m not sure how everyone can work into their 70s.

The trouble with that argument is that most people in their fifties have parents who probably started working full time at age 14/16, so the quantity of years worked will be roughly the same (especially for men). I fannied about with education and ‘travelling’ until I was at least 24!

@Tutorpuzzle can you link to some data that proves the majority of adults in their 50s were working full time from 14/16?

You need to read my post properly. That is precisely the opposite of what I said.

Jane143 · 01/04/2026 18:28

According to Google it’s 83

Who is going to pay for your state pension/ care in old age?
dinbin · 01/04/2026 18:27

MrsCarson · 01/04/2026 18:23

They still collect their UK pension and spend it in their home country.

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Why shouldn’t they get a UK pension if they have paid in? plus it’s cheaper then funding their old age if they move home.

halftermhalfawake · 01/04/2026 18:26

My area of work is with elder adults, and by the time I get to retire, the retirement age will be so high that I'll basically finish my last shift and then check myself in as a client 🫠 just living the dream

OnlyGarden · 01/04/2026 18:26

I'm not expecting a state pension. I am paying additional contributions on my workplace pension so I can retire 2 years early. The way things are going, I will still be too old to enjoy much of a retirement.

It gets my goat when wealthier people moan about how hard done by they are that they have to sell their house to pay for their care and whine about inheritance.^^

Original poster
itsadlibitum · 01/04/2026 18:24

MrsCarson · 01/04/2026 18:23

They still collect their UK pension and spend it in their home country.

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Maybe some of them (which they should be entitled to if they've paid enough NI to qualify for it, contributing to the UK economy instead of their own and therefore not getting a pension at home), it's still cheaper than looking after them here.

OP posts:
Original poster
itsadlibitum · 01/04/2026 18:24

Jane143 · 01/04/2026 18:12

it definitely not 62! 82 possibly

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It definitely is.

OP posts:
MrsCarson · 01/04/2026 18:23

itsadlibitum · 01/04/2026 17:28

Oh absolutely. I earlier pointed out that migration is a very efficient way of tackling this (not least because they often go home to retire so no old age burden).

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They still collect their UK pension and spend it in their home country.

Original poster
itsadlibitum · 01/04/2026 18:23

andweallsingalong · 01/04/2026 17:58

The question I would ask would be why does the government get to flout the rules when private pension providers have to follow them.

It use to be clear. You paid National Insurance exclusively for your state pension and the NHS. Then tax was for everything else. Then the government blended them.

If the government had kept it like this and behaved like any other pension provider investing your pension contributions for your pension then there wouldn't be an issue as everyone one would have provided their own pensions, but instead the government spent it and decided current employees should fund current pensioners. If private pension providers did that they'd likely be in prison.

Edited

I agree with this. And it's actually my biggest gripe with the whole thing, I think it's disingenuous.

OP posts:
IggyPopsPlasticTrousers · 01/04/2026 18:22

My mum didn’t work when I was a kid; she doesn’t have a state pension. My dad retired at 50 on a decent final salary pension.

im 54, quite enjoy working, might try and retire in ten years or so if I can.

having more kids to pay for the older generations is stupid; that’s just a pyramid scheme.

dinbin · 01/04/2026 18:21

itsadlibitum · 01/04/2026 18:20

Actually, on this, i am pretty sure life expectancy increases are slowing/ stalling so even not taking into account healthy life expectancy, I don't think we can rely on future generations always outliving those before them.

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That’s likely true

dinbin · 01/04/2026 18:21

@Jane143 healthy life expectancy is different to life expectancy

Original poster
itsadlibitum · 01/04/2026 18:20

Hatty65 · 01/04/2026 18:00

Have I? I'm in the same position at 60. My DM is currently 88 and not looking like dying soon. My Grandmothers both lived into their early 90s.

I'm fucked with a chronic illness. Statistics mean little. I may well live to a ripe old age. I won't be healthier than they were or enjoy the quality of life they have and I have worked full time in a stressful job all my days, which they didn't.

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Actually, on this, i am pretty sure life expectancy increases are slowing/ stalling so even not taking into account healthy life expectancy, I don't think we can rely on future generations always outliving those before them.

OP posts:
Wherearemybaubles · 01/04/2026 18:19

Boogery · 01/04/2026 15:48

Many many moons ago when I started working my expectation was that I would retire at 60.
Like my grandma.
Like my Mum.

Then they moved the goalposts and at 58 I'm looking at 9 more years.
And I feel downright ROBBED!

At least, you'll have a state pension. At this rate, my generation and below will probably have none.

tachetastic · 01/04/2026 18:19

Will we need more children in the workforce once AI takes over the world and we're all plugged into the Matrix??? 🤔

Original poster
itsadlibitum · 01/04/2026 18:18

Applesonthelawn · 01/04/2026 18:01

I will retire later this year at the age of 67, having worked solidly full time since I was 22. I have never expected the state pension to be enough to support me in my old age. No-one else in my age group should have assumed that either. Young people now should certainly not assume that. It's below the minimum you need for a reasonable life in old age and that situation will get worse. After Covid, there is no buffer to support the damage to the world economy from Trump's war so we will all be tightening our belts even more than we already have done.

I don't think anyone would rely entirely on state pension, but £12k a year isn't to be scoffed at to bulk up a private pension. I assume you took yours into account?

OP posts:
Soontobe60 · 01/04/2026 18:13

With my combined small private and state pension I am paying approx £2500 income tax and have enough disposable income to help support the economy by being a self funding consumer. I have enough savings and equity in my home to fund approx 10 years worth of care should I need it. I’m just an average person whose salary never went above £50k a year.

SuitcaseAndSecrets · 01/04/2026 18:12

I'm a Waspie and feel like I've been robbed.
Where l worked we didn't get to add to a private pension.. nor told anything.
( No husband.. no nothing) it's theft.

tachetastic · 01/04/2026 18:12

icouldholditwithacobweb · 01/04/2026 17:17

I have a theory that in the next couple of decades, assisted dying will become legal and some time after that, the government will incentivise it financially to encourage more people to take that route while allowing them to leave something to their families (and reduce cost burden on the state for expensive pensions, healthcare, etc).

Call me cynical, but there's going to be a harsh reality to face and there has to be a solution somewhere.

Crikey, I hope that isn't the answer.

I do support assisted dying, but an incentive to shorten your own life in return for some sort of benefit package for your offspring? 😱

That said, there's a few right wing politicians I would be willing to nominate as test cases.......... 🤔😂

Jane143 · 01/04/2026 18:12

goldingoose · 01/04/2026 16:01

Where does life expectancy sitting at 62 "ish"?

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it definitely not 62! 82 possibly

Tink3rbell30 · 01/04/2026 18:11

Whyhaveibeencutoutofmamsnot · 01/04/2026 18:02

Home responsibility protection - if you get child benefit then you get the national insurance credit paid for your pension.

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Ah that makes sense. I was surprised at the amount, so I suppose a lot of people don't need to worry.

Moonlightfrog · 01/04/2026 18:09

I am hoping I stay reasonably fit and healthy, if not…I hope they bring in euthanasia 😬. I seriously don’t want to get to the point where I need carers or a care home.

I have no savings, a very small pension and I don’t own property. Both my DC’s have disabilities and will likely pass before I do or they won’t be capable of caring for me (I wouldn’t expect them too).

3 of my grandparents have lived into their mid 90’s and were reasonably fit until their final months, none of them ended up in a care home, one needed a carer near the end. I just pray that I stay fit and healthy or that I die quickly not needing care.

EmeraldShamrock000 · 01/04/2026 18:09

Immigrants? Only joking.
My parents, aunts and uncles are not blessed with longevity, all deceased so I half expect to be here past 70. I can manage for 5 years before I kick the bucket now that the government has set a mandatory pension in Ireland.