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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

384 replies

JenniferBooth · 25/01/2023 16:52

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.

OP posts:
SpottyBalloons · 25/01/2023 19:54

@safeplanet Ah thank you, I thought they were saying healthy adults have a life expectancy of 62.8 and 63.6 respectively, which baffled me! If it's actually the age at which most people stop being healthy, how come it's higher than the disability free life expectancy? Happy to be educated on this!

KimberleyClark · 25/01/2023 19:56

caringcarer · 25/01/2023 19:37

Surely pensions are paid for from NI contributions. Some woman only paid a married woman's stamp yes, but other married woman paid a full stamp. I am 61 and always paid a full stamp even though married at 22. I think you will find most woman only paying married woman's stamp are about 80 now.

I know women who gave up paid work after their first child was born and never went back. They are early 60s now. Where do they stand with regard to state pension?

FaoinDrualus · 25/01/2023 19:56

Here in Switzerland there was a referendum in Sept to increase the retirement age for women from 64 to 65, in line with men.
It went through but only by a tiny margin - 50.6%. The arguement against it was that women on average get a smaller pension (due to pay gap and time taken out of contributing for childcare/caring). So it was believed they should need to make fewer contributions to allow for that.

The same day, there was a vote on raising VAT rates to raise the national pension pot - this also went through.

In Switzerland you can only get the maximum state pension if you have paid in without any gaps from age 21 - so it was 43 years for women and its now 44 years. Any gap reduces the percentage you get. You can overpay later to try and bridge the gap, but few people actually manage that in full. More typically people would use savings and investments to supplement their state and occupational pension.

Blossomtoes · 25/01/2023 19:56

CaptainMyCaptain · 25/01/2023 19:31

It is very unusual. Did they work in state schools or private schools with very small classes and less pressure.

It really isn’t. I don’t know a single teacher who worked much past 60.

SueVineer · 25/01/2023 19:57

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 25/01/2023 19:07

I think it’s false economy too.

There is no help for your children with childcare. This makes them poorer and increases demand which increases cost.

There must be a reduction in entry level jobs preventing career climbing. The older generation are sort of like bed blockers. Filling vacancies that could be utilised by you get people.

Dusability and sickness benefit must increase as people get older. Why not just pay pensions instead?

Surely part of the caring crisis is that people are expected to work longer and can’t help their parents.

Age discrimination is rife in the workplace. So older people will need more support during unemployment.

Is it worth having such a high pension age?
Does it even itself out?

It doesn’t. The state pension is enormously expensive- about £100bn a year. We just can’t afford it. It’s not fair on younger generations

Blossomtoes · 25/01/2023 19:58

Blossomtoes · 25/01/2023 19:56

It really isn’t. I don’t know a single teacher who worked much past 60.

Sorry. Ignore me. 🫣

MarshaBradyo · 25/01/2023 19:59

SueVineer · 25/01/2023 19:57

It doesn’t. The state pension is enormously expensive- about £100bn a year. We just can’t afford it. It’s not fair on younger generations

As hard as I think it will be I agree with you

Blossomtoes · 25/01/2023 20:00

It’s not fair on younger generations

But it was fair on us when we paid for our parents’ and grandparents’ pensions. How is it suddenly unfair when it’s our turn?

safeplanet · 25/01/2023 20:00

@SpottyBalloons I don't know the stats I'm afraid just making the point the poster was talking about healthy life expectancy.

SueVineer · 25/01/2023 20:00

Blossomtoes · 25/01/2023 19:56

It really isn’t. I don’t know a single teacher who worked much past 60.

They all worked in state schools. Just looked it up and according to NASUWT about half of teachers work till state retirement age. So certainly not unusual

caringcarer · 25/01/2023 20:01

@KimberleyClark, I think they get pension credit stamps while children were up to 16, then later I think it reduced to 12. So for as many years as they had a kid under 16 they got credits. If they never went back to work I think they would get a reduced pension. If married and their DH got full pension they presumably share total income. If below certain level between them could apply for pension credit.

safeplanet · 25/01/2023 20:02

But it was fair on us when we paid for our parents’ and grandparents’ pensions. How is it suddenly unfair when it’s our turn?

I don't understand, aren't people who say it's unfair referring to the increase in age? eg my mum's state pension age was younger than mine is.

SueVineer · 25/01/2023 20:02

Blossomtoes · 25/01/2023 20:00

It’s not fair on younger generations

But it was fair on us when we paid for our parents’ and grandparents’ pensions. How is it suddenly unfair when it’s our turn?

The current generation of pensioners have not paid for their retirement - mainly due to increased life expectancy but they got to retire early.

safeplanet · 25/01/2023 20:03

@SueVineer was that full time or part time? I've worked in schools & staff definitely work till pension age but very unusual ime to full time.

HeavenIsAHalfpipe · 25/01/2023 20:03

100% agree @JenniferBooth Forcing people to work til they drop, (along with the fast and huge rises in the cost of living,) IS affecting peoples ability to look after elderly relatives/relatives who need care, and yeah, as pps have said, it's also affecting childcare. People in their 20s and early to mid 30s which is the most common age range to have a baby, can no longer depend on their late 50-something/early 60 something mothers looking after their baby as they'll be working til they're nearly 70 soon.

Slightly off-topic, but a woman I know is mid 20s and had a daughter in January 2021. Another baby March 2022. It was OK though because her mum was a healthy and vibrant late 40-something woman who didn't work, as her husband had a pretty successful well paid job. The young mum was ready to go back to her career in Autumn 2022. Her dad had a severe stroke in July 2022 - aged 50 - and is unable to even dress himself, or walk properly, or even go to the loo himself.

The young woman's mother has now had to go and get a job, and work many hours as his salary has gone down to sick pay, and she is now his carer too. No room in HER life now for looking after 2 babies while her daughter goes back to her career.

Not really related massively to the issue, but a prime example of how you cannot depend on family members any longer to look after your kids, because you don't know what's round the corner. This young woman's mum will be working indefinitely now, yet she wanted her to be the prime babysitter/childminder while she resumes her career. THAT'S gone out of the window. Childcare for 2 is coming up at around £250 a week. Her mum was charging £0.

caringcarer · 25/01/2023 20:03

I've told my adult kids to make sure they are paying enough pension into their pots as I think future governments will reduce how much pension is paid out and make people wait until they are 70. We may become more like America and have a much smaller state with people having to fund more themselves.

Blossomtoes · 25/01/2023 20:03

SueVineer · 25/01/2023 20:02

The current generation of pensioners have not paid for their retirement - mainly due to increased life expectancy but they got to retire early.

People who retire early get their state pension at the same age as those who don’t. Did you really need that pointing out?

SueVineer · 25/01/2023 20:04

safeplanet · 25/01/2023 20:03

@SueVineer was that full time or part time? I've worked in schools & staff definitely work till pension age but very unusual ime to full time.

Not according to nasuwt.

safeplanet · 25/01/2023 20:04

The issues isn't just stage cost of the state pension age but also the cost of social care & NHS.

safeplanet · 25/01/2023 20:05

The challenges of ageing population.

SueVineer · 25/01/2023 20:06

Blossomtoes · 25/01/2023 20:03

People who retire early get their state pension at the same age as those who don’t. Did you really need that pointing out?

The current generation got their state pension at a lower age than future generations and have a far longer time retired than the younger generation will get.

Do you really need that pointing out? Apparently so…

safeplanet · 25/01/2023 20:06

@SueVineer hence why I asked the question..

Dymaxion · 25/01/2023 20:06

I work in the NHS and cannot get my workplace pension until 67. I will have to work until I can claim the state pension as my workplace pension isn't that great due to part-time working when the children were younger, and it isn't anything like a final salary pension, as some seem to think.

Blossomtoes · 25/01/2023 20:07

SueVineer · 25/01/2023 20:06

The current generation got their state pension at a lower age than future generations and have a far longer time retired than the younger generation will get.

Do you really need that pointing out? Apparently so…

The current generation of pensioners is getting their pension at 66.

safeplanet · 25/01/2023 20:07

People who retire early get their state pension at the same age as those who don’t. Did you really need that pointing out?

What's the relevance of this point? people are talking about state pension age changing.