Who’s going to pay our pensions in 20-30years if the UK keeps its birth rate low and also restricts immigration?

[AlertEagle]

posted from another forum
Serious question. The UK’s birth rate is well below replacement level, meaning fewer young people entering the workforce. At the same time, the political mood seems pretty anti-immigration, even though immigration is one of the only things that’s kept the tax base stable.

State pensions are paid by current workers’ National Insurance contributions, not some magic fund. So… what happens when there’s a huge retired population and not enough working-age people to support them?

Will the government raise taxes, increase the retirement age, cut pensions, or eventually U-turn on immigration just to prop things up?

Feels like a ticking time bomb no one’s really addressing. Curious what others think, is anyone actually planning for this?

Or are we as a nation willing to give up state pensions if it means less immigration?

But even before all the big waves of low skilled workers came to the uk there was a shortage of low skilled labour workers so even if those workers leave where are the people to fill the jobs. Do you believe that foreigners are stealing jobs? I dont think those positions will be filled by anyone because they dont want to do these jobs in the first place (cleaners, babysitters, waiters, bartenders, security etc)

Maybe the answer is we all need to learn to live in much smaller homes.

Haven't houses got smaller and are small compared to Europe?

I am banking on AI boosting massively increasing productivity and wealth. The government will be able to redistribute wealth through the tax/benefit system and we will all be fine!

and that's another reason for fewer dc

And another thing Ive said before on a different thread when people pay taxes to this country they can benefit from the government and the healthcare just as brits do in countries they have settled it. Because how can someone pay taxes but not be able to access nhs or benefits. Plus those people have settled here already do they all get deported

Errr….. that’s a nice dream. So we have a lot of people on benefits as there are no jobs for them. What are they supposed to do with their lives? How will Ai fund growth and wealth? Where is the money coming from?

AI confuses me, who will provide it for free? And where does the money come from to pay people when AI is doing the jobs?

The problem with working in care homes is that nearly all the jobs are NMW and attract uneducated/unskilled applicants. A lot of whom are not suitable for the job. I think people working in care homes should get proper training, and have a good level of education. Afterall, we are entrusting vulnerable people to the care system, and need to be confident that the care they’re receiving is good quality care. Salaries for the job should then raise significantly, which will the attract more people. Giving the jobs to immigrants with no skills or in a lot of cases no command of the English language should not be happening.

We should be paying care workers a lot more but people don't want to pay for their care and want inheritance to go to their dc. It's all a mess.

Yes yes yes!!!
Terraced properties and flats
all near public transport and work
Less cars = less land for cars
More land for agriculture

Can’t stand all these detached off street parking new properties on swirly roads. They cost too much, waste land, materials and are too much to run.

recently looked at a proposed housing project near me and we could fit in a further 23% more homes ( that’s 52 properties) Thus more dense design of ours would have saved other smaller developments or at the least left more grade 1 agricultural land to be just that.

In terms of job vacancies. First and foremost U.K. nationals should have to take jobs available. We should not have people capable of work, not working and then be forced to look abroad.
That’s ridiculous……and that includes fruit picking ( remember covid )

This be the plan...

Agreed. I would actually love to work in care if it was a decently paid and respected vocation.

The groups I am describing are not paying taxes because they are are either not working (too old, no English, cultural objections to work outside the home) or are on minimum wages (car wash, deliveroo etc). They are taking money not contributing. They use the NHS as they are resident here but it is the tax payer who is paying for that. Society can only afford to contribute a limited number of such people before the whole edifice collapses.

I did not mention deporting settled non contributors. Not sure where you get that from.

I would however deport anyone convicted of a serious crime where possible.

Not deport ones already here, but certainly put a cap on any further immigrants entering the UK. Or allow only those who have skills that add value to our country, like doctors, teachers. We don’t need/want any unskilled workers. We have enough already without importing more.

Expensive in terms of disability benefits and other welfare payments

Wouldnt it be easier if the benefits system had an overhaul. For example in other European countries where you can claim some sort of financial support you can, but only for a limited time and not indefinitely. For example uc was introduced to get people back to work but I know some individuals who have never worked in their life and they claim uc. They are british btw

Wouldnt it be easier if the benefits system had an overhaul. For example in other European countries where you can claim some sort of financial support you can, but only for a limited time and not indefinitely.

And in lots of European countries what you have paid in impacts what you get out.

God,no. Haven't you seen how developers squeeze them in, the footprints are so small, it must be really claustrophobic to live in most of them. Flats always have, like, a quarter of a proper kitchen. Open plan with living room and just a a couple of feet of free worktop with the most low end of appliances.

Exactly this! Also the number of immigrants who work cash in hand or set up businesses that are fronts for money laundering and organised crime. Please don't bother to @ me in comments as everyone can see the proliferation of barbers, dodgy nail salons and mini marts selling illegal Cigarettes from under the counter in every town in the UK.

It’s not just that, we’ve also got to think about automation and AI that will reduce the number of employees required. No pay, no taxes, no pension.

It’s worrying.

What are these jobs because this is not the case where I am? Supermarkets, restaurants etc all staffed by locals in my town. The farmers used eastern Europeans to help with harvest but they previously came on temporary visas and would leave again at the end of the season

Trust me I’ve seen. I’m an architect and have been made to plan them out. I, however am talking about the externals.
Detached is a waste of land, materials and has an increased long term energy usage
Garages are unessesary

Completely agree about the ticking time bomb.

Means testing and removing the triple lock would be a difficult policies to implement- look how well the WFA went! I completely agreed with the means testing of that and the government should not have backed down.

And here's me still not taking the bait. Prove me wrong if you have the time.

Larger number of younger WAPs are claiming PIP. This is the long term ticking time bomb.
Our MPs voted out the measures to truly cut back on that though.

When you get old you need more support
That's always been the way