to think if the state pension age of 68 is being brought forward.........

[JenniferBooth]

then they need to stop moaning and whining when there are no family members (read women)
to provide unpaid care so elderly relatives can be discharged from hospital
You cant have it both ways.

Why did women historically receive it sooner?

The age at which I can take my work pension is tied to state pension age, so that keeps getting further away as well!

My parents were late thirties when i was born too. Parents are 87 this year and i will be 50

The generation will pay collectively for it by increased inheritance tax. If you've nothing to leave, obviously you'll not be able to pay. I just think taxing the dead is the kindest thing.

That’s an interesting history lesson, but we shouldn’t use it to justify the current changes and undoing of hard won workers rights.

Why did women historically receive it sooner?

Wasn't it based on women usually being five years younger than their husbands on average - so that they could both retire together - or is that an urban myth/not the whole story?

Triple lock wont be going for many years, so expect the state pension to keep increasing, its a substantial amount, you need a private pension pot of at least 250 to 300k to give you 10k per year for life.

Most people will never have a pension pot of that amount... so yes even people with PPensions still need the SP.

67 is terrible, within 8 years you d be classed as at risk of frailty by the NHS, 68 will ensure the Tories never get back in at the next GE.

France is up in arms with a proposed increase to 64 but you can bet your life the meek UK will tug the forelock again, grateful for any pension at all at any age.

And being alive is not the same as being able to work. We already have an increase of people in their fifties and sixties on long term sick. When you do a physical job you can't keep working until an elderly age. I know the government just thinks these people should learn at 65 years old how to do an office job from scratch, but for many that is not realistic.

It was recognised women were care givers. Both with children and with elderly parents and relatives.

There hasnt been any generation that has paid toward their own pension, this is a ridiculous argument or position to take.

My mother is just about to hit 70, she’s been confused, tired and in pain for at least 6 years. I do not want to be working at that age.

Exactly Imagine a 68 year old brick layer Or a 68 year old care worker.

So how do you propose the shortfall is funded?

My mum was having some rough cancer treatment aged 68. You can’t get blood from a stone - no way could she have worked. The cost of sick pay will be astronomical. Some 68yos are in great shape. Good for them, and they should have the choice whether to work. But there will be thousands who would really struggle to work at that age.

The thing is the government want people to work later. But they aren’t exploring it properly.

I was a teacher. Believe me, there’s no 67 year old teachers. They can’t cope with stress and physical activity of it. Ditto manual workers, care workers, nurses etc. Where is the plan to help these people transfer to lighter duties? Where is the legislation to properly tackle ageism? How does people working later in life impact on people at the start of their career?

This is my worry. It is all fine and dandy providing you do a non physical job and are blessed with amazing health.
This, unfortunately, is not the norm for an awful lot of people.
Having just luckily retired I find myself looking after my elderly mother and my brother who is having chemo etc. He is much younger than I but will struggle to work until 67 as has been doing a very physical job since the age of 16 and has no private pension, which I realise is his own fault.
I, luckily, am in good health at the present time but who knows what the future will bring.

You can’t get blood from a stone - no way could she have worked. The cost of sick pay will be astronomical

So would it be cheaper to pay pensions at say 65? If people are consistently too I’ll to work, then they might as well get state pension. I know some countries allow early taking of state pension if people are too I’ll to work.

None of it seem properly thought about.

Well I'm 55. Been working full time since I was 18.
My mum is 83. My ability to help her is limited by my full time Job.
My middle daughter is 25 with a baby I can't offer help for. I've still got a secondary school age daughter who will likely only qualify for minimum loan, cos I'm working so saving for that and whacking money into a pension.
I've still got 12 years of work ahead of me and I count myself lucky. I've got a good flexible job which means I can wfh as I like..
My friends are teachers and nurses. I just can't fathom how you can be a nurse for 50 years and be standing 14 hours a day

The current generation of pensioners have not properly funded their own pensions through sufficient taxes and left later generations to pay the price. They need to pay the shortfall that they owe to future generations via inheritance tax.

It’s not those pensioners that will pay the inheritance tax. It’s those future generations that you refer to who pay it, because it is deducted from their inheritance.

This outrage over one year is amusing. There wasn’t much sympathy for WASPI women who saw their pension age knocked back by several years.

There was plenty of sympathy and it was an ongoing campaign for 10+ years.

However, that related to an equalling out of position between male and female retirement ages.

I didn't see much sympathy when my pension age was extended, not to 65 on a par with the long-standing retirement age for men, but to 67 ... along with all men of my generation.

There was bugger all sympathy on MN.

I'm claiming one of my pensions now at 56. You can make other arrangements apart from the state pension!

There is massive geographical and class-based disparity within this group though.

Those who come from the property-owning class in the SE of England will inherit substantial amounts. Those who come from the property-owning class in the north will inherit modest sums. Those whose families do not own property will inherit pretty much nothing.

I'm in the age group you are talking about, but I don't stand to inherit anything beyond keepsakes because my parents are the wrong class.

How come the French can retire at 62?

Active retirement allows people to be childcare providers, carers and be the backbone of the voluntary sector. It's very short-sighted to prevent that.