To think 71 is too old for state pension age?

[winterwonder1]

This isn't just for people who are 21 now - that's for people born after 1970 - so 55 now. I can't imagine being fit enough to do my job at 71.
DWP State Pension age will have to rise to 71 says report | News Shopper

The pension in payment will indeed be reduced if you take if early but at least in occupational schemes it will last until your death. And after that your widow or widower may well receive a part of your pension.
In the case of DH and I, both in occupational schemes, the survivor will get 50 pct pf the pension until their own death.

A lot of surgeons at the top hospitals are well into their 70’s, their expertise is sought after.

I wouldn’t be seeking it. The thought of someone my age operating on me terrifies me.

I’m struggling now and not even close to 60 let alone 71!

It’s ridiculous when people are in poorer health than past generations, plus extra demands and pace of life driven by tech.

Thats 15 years older than my uncle died at.
My parents retired at 60 from public sector jobs.
Presumably we will retire at 71 and die at 72

They will be supervising the operations. They won’t be carrying them out. You don’t see 70 year-old orthopaedic surgeon with saws in their hand.
Equally there will be robotics carrying out the operation shortly, That’s already well underway
So again, you’ll be requiring a surgeon to concentrate for two or three hours at most.

Well it's only 3 years later than the date I'm going to be retiring. Hopefully people will take private pensions seriously - I've always seen the state pension as the top up.
This is just a result of the ratio between tax payers and pensioners narrowing. There just isn't enough money in the pot.

Not so….
my partner had open heart surgery by a hospital consultant in his early 70’s!
it was a bit of a laugh as we all joked as that was why his stitches/scar seems to be all over the place.
the consultant was one of the top in his field.

I’d be very surprised if the consultant at the top of his field was stitching Anyone up after surgery

Same. And I’m damned if I’d let anyone that age anywhere near heart surgery on me.

that part was all tongue in cheek fgs ……but nonetheless he was the one who opened up and operated on my partner, who is probably only sitting next to me now because of this person. When its a case of do or die you don’t really care.

Is it 71 now?? I'm 54 and retired already so I'm lucky not to have to work till then. Just wondering how it will work - so many people in late 60s and into 70 trying to find suitable jobs, and young people out of colleges and universities competing for the same jobs.

They do.. I certainly am..

@DiscoBeat I did wonder how the jobs market was, after seeing Labour insist that it's not fair for people to be at home, ill, claiming PIP, & they deserve a chance to work.. how they deliver stuff like this with a straight face is beyond me..

Also ladies, (daren't say 'girls' due to the other silly thread - who cares..more things to worry about..) I don't know whether you realise, but any private pension you get now is taxed to the hilt as what you get over & above state pension takes you into the tax paying bracket.. that was done steathily, eh?
Gnashes teeth at all those who fell for Labour's lies & STILL insist that '14 years of the Conservatives' caused all our present problems.. having forgotten how some of us were bailed out by the Conservative Govt during Covid etc otherwise would have had no income..

Tbh I'm glad I'm coming to the end of my life. Everything's too damn depressing. (Waiting for decisions on my kids' PIP review & expecting to be told that being ill & at home isn't fair on them, & they DESERVE to be working.. ffs..)

Paying for all the boat people is costing us SO much. Why the Govt can't grow a backbone & send all the men (as that's what they are - no women or children) back to where they came from.

Sorry many issues in one post, not a happy bunny lately.
Oh, & did you see inflation's up? No, it's not us, spending - it's raises on fuel, water prices etc that's pushed it up..

Well that's a lot 😳 are you ok? Genuinely, are you? The end of your life and having young kids?

I don't know whether you realise, but any private pension you get now is taxed to the hilt as what you get over & above state pension takes you into the tax paying bracket.. that was done steathily, eh?

I’ve been paying tax on my occupational pensions ever since I started receiving them under the Tory government - at 20%, not to the hilt.

@Doingtheboxerbeat
I am ok, bless you for asking!
My kids are adult but on the spectrum, & I was clocking on a bit when they were born. :-)

I started my private pension 24 years ago, I've always seen the value in that as my pension as I've assumed (hopefully incorrectly) that there won't be much of a state pension when I retire. I can't even think about retiring yet, I'm 47 and am itching to get back into full-time work but I am a carer and can't work more than part-time at the moment. I think as soon as I get into full-time it'll be hard to get me to slow down

Does your calculation include employers NICs?

if they keep increasing it all the time then people will be lucky to reach the state pension age before they kick the bucket.

Thats the plan

Life expectancy is dropping not rising.

Other than the NEST thing I haven’t been able to save in a private pension. I’ve been a single parent in a low paid job for many years. Managing day to day is hard enough let alone having savings for the future. It’s people who have worked hard on low wages who will yet again be the ones to suffer and have to work long past the point they are physically able to.

My mum suffered from COPD and macular degeneration in her 60’s and died at 73. There is no way she could have been working at 71. Many of these illness start making themselves known when people are in their 60’s hence why 60 was a good point to allow people to stop working if they chose to. Lots of people still worked at that age and could supplement their pension with a part time job while helping out with grandchildren but those who weren’t capable could retire.

I predict we will be spending out just as much on disability and unemployment benefits as we would have on pensions.

Pensioners have always paid tax if the total amount they receive from their state and private pensions exceeds the amount of the tax free allowance. This isn't something that this Labour Government has brought in. Pension contributions from the employer and employee are tax free so people aren't being taxed 'twice' as some people think.

You seem spectacularly uninformed and you are just parroting right-wing talking points about 'boat people'. It was a Conservative government that privatised energy and water companies and those privatised industries have ripped off the bill payers ever since as they prioritise giving huge dividends to their shareholders.