State retirement age is too old for working class people

[Spiceup]

An observation from some things I've seen lately. I'll explain.

I work in a public sector organisation that employees highly qualified and very well paid professionals alongside support staff on not much more than minimum wage and those in between.

Part of my role is managing sickness absence. What I am seeing lately is that the professional types, despite doing what are generally accepted to be stressful jobs, on the whole, stay well until well into their sixties, although many do retire earlier simply because they have the kind of pensions that make that possible.

People in the more lowly jobs are often genuinely finished by their mid-late 50s. Just worn out and suffering from multiple health problems. Perhaps because of their lifestyles or maybe from just having harder lives (not necessarily harder work lives, but getting by is just generally harder for them). To have to go on to 67 is just absurd and very few do, with ill health retirement common (so the state is paying anyway).

I can't begin to imagine how similar people manage in genuinely physical jobs, in construction for example.

Is it more common for working class people in their 50s to be worn out, or perhaps more comfortably off professionals retire before they get to that point so I don't see it?

I agree. Low paid work takes a toll on the body.

There are areas in the UK where average life expectancy is less than state pension age. Some will already be claiming disability related benefits, but others will still be in work, mainly because benefits are not sufficient to live off, and difficult to qualify for. I'm not sure that reducing the pension age is the answer, but far more needs to be done to reduce inequality.

Agree my sister is paramedic and unlike police or fire fighters who retire after 30y so in their 50s she’s expected to carry on full heavy and carrying duties until she’s 67!

This makes sense. I'm in a professional job though and feel I will be done by 55. I'm 45 and so tired already and my health is getting a bit more delicate, my eyesight is going more etc. But I'm a stressful role (education) and I have a stressful life as a full time mother and single mother.

If you are asking whether people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds have higher rates of chronic illness, fewer years lived in good health, and are more likely to go on long term sick leave, the answer is yes, for a myriad of complex reasons. I don’t know if lowering the retirement age is necessarily the solution, but it’s definitely something that is reflected in the stats.

@CorrBlimeyGG

There are areas in the UK where average life expectancy is less than state pension age. Some will already be claiming disability related benefits, but others will still be in work, mainly because benefits are not sufficient to live off, and difficult to qualify for. I'm not sure that reducing the pension age is the answer, but far more needs to be done to reduce inequality.

@CorrBlimeyGG I dont know of any place in the UK where life expectancy is lower than the state pension age. Can you give us the places and sources of that info?

Poor health is often linked to poverty.
Poor quality housing, poor diet, long hours on minimum wage giving little time to exercise in any form, unwillingness and difficulty accessing medical advice and support until the problem becomes really significant.
Some areas have three or four generations unemployed, and children brought up in severe hardship often build up health problems which then become an issue later in life.

@CorrBlimeyGG

There are areas in the UK where average life expectancy is less than state pension age. Some will already be claiming disability related benefits, but others will still be in work, mainly because benefits are not sufficient to live off, and difficult to qualify for. I'm not sure that reducing the pension age is the answer, but far more needs to be done to reduce inequality.

Glasgow and Blackpool have the lowest life expectancy, and it’s still well over the pension age. Unless you are referring to small, specific groups of workers?

my state pension age is 68 & I expect it to increase. Despite having a desk job I'm not sure I will have the same concentration & pace then.

In deprived areas I think life expectancy is around 74 vs 83 in the more affluent areas.

Looking at things purely from the working conditions point of view, highly qualified professionals/senior management do work very hard but have autonomy in their working life. People in lower ranking roles have little say in their tasks/ability to manage their job and more likely to be bullied. This makes a big difference in stress levels which can result in health issues and ability to carry on working for longer.

I retired at 60 from teaching a couple of months ago and I felt ready to go. In a conversation with one of the classroom assistants who is same age she commented that she was looking after her grandson at night to allow her daughter to work, she is also a carer for her mother. Her job is difficult and she has been physically assaulted in the past. She is knackered but retirement is another 7 years away for her. Making the retirement age the same for both sexes never took into account what the majority of woman do.
Many are caught in the middle, caring for older and younger family plus the effects of the menopause. Too many women are burnt out just holding their family together and many will have a very poor quality of life when they do retire. Life expectancy is declining in the UK

When I was nursing, we were all struggling with health issues. The care assistants in particular had it hard due to the amount of moving and handling they had to do. The older nurses struggled with 12 hour shifts. Luckily, I could afford to quit nursing at age 50, but can only manage light menial work now.

I think 67 for retirement age is ridiculous. I suppose they'll save money through killing people off with hard work before they can claim their pension.

YANBU OP. Poverty and precariousness is highly stressful, and stress is a life limiter and a killer.

Agreed.

My warehouse job involves walking twelve miles a day with a load of heavy lifting on top.

Try doing that when you're knocking on for 70!

From googling
1 in 4 men in Glasgow die before 65

According to the World Health Organization in 2008, the male life expectancy at birth in the Calton area of Glasgow at that time was 54 years.

The 2008–2012 estimate for Calton and nearby Bridgeton together … was 67.8 years for males.

The WHO in 2008 put the average life expectancy of a Glasgow male at 54. Considerably lower than several years above retirement age. The Glasgow Effect.

I agree, OP. So many get signed off sick with no realistic prospect of returning to work, it would be better to set a realistic retirement age but encourage people to continue working beyond that if they wish.

@bestcattoyintheworld

When I was nursing, we were all struggling with health issues. The care assistants in particular had it hard due to the amount of moving and handling they had to do. The older nurses struggled with 12 hour shifts. Luckily, I could afford to quit nursing at age 50, but can only manage light menial work now.

I think 67 for retirement age is ridiculous. I suppose they'll save money through killing people off with hard work before they can claim their pension.

The ageing population is an issue though. Unless we force all the young people into the hard labour jobs by default

There really should be a distinction between cushy office jobs and the rest

I know it’s crazy that people based in office jobs get to decide what age someone with a manual role gets to retire.
I know office based jobs can be very stressful which isn’t great for health either. But standing/walking/lifting etc completely knackers your body.

Agree totally.

I work in a professional role and am exhausted with it at 50 and feel like I can’t keep up with the pace of change already. If you were to add physically demanding in as well, that would finish me off.

@Spiceup

An observation from some things I've seen lately. I'll explain.

I work in a public sector organisation that employees highly qualified and very well paid professionals alongside support staff on not much more than minimum wage and those in between.

Part of my role is managing sickness absence. What I am seeing lately is that the professional types, despite doing what are generally accepted to be stressful jobs, on the whole, stay well until well into their sixties, although many do retire earlier simply because they have the kind of pensions that make that possible.

People in the more lowly jobs are often genuinely finished by their mid-late 50s. Just worn out and suffering from multiple health problems. Perhaps because of their lifestyles or maybe from just having harder lives (not necessarily harder work lives, but getting by is just generally harder for them). To have to go on to 67 is just absurd and very few do, with ill health retirement common (so the state is paying anyway).

I can't begin to imagine how similar people manage in genuinely physical jobs, in construction for example.

Is it more common for working class people in their 50s to be worn out, or perhaps more comfortably off professionals retire before they get to that point so I don't see it?

It sounds like my mum, who works as the hospital dinner lady (not sure what they are called) and is on her feet all day.

Before this job she was a barmaid and a cleaner standing for hours and working with her hands.

Now she is 54 and is having several operations every year, firstly for swollen lymph nodes on her foot, then her neck. Now she needs steroid injection in her thumb from all of the pushing and pulling of the cart. Its like what's next!?

@anniegun Google 'the Glasgow effect'

@Malibuismysecrethome

The WHO in 2008 put the average life expectancy of a Glasgow male at 54. Considerably lower than several years above retirement age. The Glasgow Effect.

Only very specific, very deprived areas of Glasgow. Not Glasgow as a whole.

Working until 67, 68, 69 is awful for most people ... we slow down physically and mentally as we get older. It all takes a toll and it's exhausting to be working full time at these ages.

I think societies need to take a long hard look at how this affects people's lives and health and well being.