I identify as a woman of pensionable age

[thatdamnwoman]

I am some years off pensionable age (66 for me), but today I am tired and coldy and the arthritis in my knee and ankle are playing up and I am absolutely sure I must have a physical age of 66 or possibly older.

I've had a few health issues over the years and I'm sure that medical tests would establish a physical age of 66 or possibly even older. (The NHS's recent heart-age survey has already indicated this.)

So, armed with biological evidence that I am actually, physically, older than my birth certificate says I am, I would like to apply for all my records to be updated to my real, physical age, so that I can claim my government pension.

Can anyone suggest how I might take this forward? I don't think it's any weirder than suggesting a person can change sex. If they can get their birth certificate changed, why can't I?

And as an added benefit, you'll get your telegram from the Queen even earlier!

I identify as a heavily pregnant woman about to go on maternity leave for a year.

This is gold. Keep us updated on your struggle for acceptance...

I'm with you, OP. I am 64, I had 2 years 5 months notice that I would have to wait an extra 6 years to get my state pension, the max being £8,300 pa I believe. That means I've lost £50,000 give or take. So I would very much like to ID as a state pension claimant and back date it too, please. I also have arthritis and def feel like an old 'un today.

I'm kind of serious about this and I could be persuaded into putting some effort into it just to draw attention to the ridiculousness of identity politics. I suppose if it were to go to law it might throw up some interesting arguments. I just wondered if a transage movement might throw a spanner in the works.

Good point actually. If some people's bodies are substantially 'older' then they could be pensioned off earlier. But conversely the people who are deemed physically fit into old age will be expected to work longer. That won't be popular!

If you figure out a way to do this, OP, please share! I would love to be able to start claiming my pension as I still have a mortgage to pay.

Can anyone suggest how I might take this forward? I don't think it's any weirder than suggesting a person can change sex. If they can get their birth certificate changed, why can't I?

Less so, in fact, in that you will one day be 66, and they will never be the sex they "identify" as.

It just strikes me that I can offer clear biological evidence of my claim. I just want to highlight where we end up if we insist on giving too much weight to identification.

I said exactly this to a couple of my friends last week OP!

It makes complete sense to me. I should have been 4 years away from my pension, but now it is 11 years away.
If men are going to be able to change their birth certificates, then why can't I?
It would prompt all those lovely compliments about 'looking good for my age' too; what's not to like? Count me in.

I'm trying to think of where one would start and how one could obtain a medically and scientifically reliable assessment of my actual, physical, age. Although I'm a bit nervous that I'll turn out to be 81.

I wondered whether this could be used as a way of radicalising a huge number of women and taking the 'story' away from trans to the ridiculousness of identity politics.

Great idea, OP, can I join? And why should we need any 'biological proof'? Others - and we all know what this means - don't, just 'feelings', and that is enough for them to get what they want.

Presumably this could also apply to someone who identified as a 5 year old and demanded to be let into a primary school.

@Blanketbox, it seemed to work in Canada for this chap, he identified as a 3 year old with special needs:

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-island-university-fetish-student-professor-fired-1.4400306

Wtf?

I really wouldn't want to do anything that made it any easier for people like him to get their rocks off. He should have been locked up.

Sounds like an excellent idea. Along with the physical state of my body I also meet many of the stereotypes* of being old:

• I moan about modern music and say how much better it was in my day
• I don't care about fashionable clothes. I just want them to be comfy
• I'm grumpy
• I'm not on twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and such new-fangled social media
• I go upstairs and forget what I was going to get
• I have been known to fall asleep in front of the TV

According to stereotypes* I'm definitely old enough to draw my pension.

• disclaimer - I realise these are stereotypes and therefore not actually representative of many pensioners, who themselves get frustrated by the way these stereotypes are perpetuated in the media.

I'm a kid at heart really but I'll identify as 17 so I don't have to go back to school and go back to uni instead. Young person discounts, apprenticeships, youth initiatives and all that.

Such a good idea, I am surprised no one else has thought of it.

I am 64 and am furious that I have to wait until almost 66 to get my pension and bus pass. I don't drive so really could do with the bus pass.

How about identifying as really wealthy. I feel that I am not actually on the breadline, that actually I have vast amounts of money tucked away in off-shore accounts. As this is not reality, I am suffering from not having my belief about my monetary status validated by the outside world.

MrsSnippyPants that is so disturbing

I should have been getting my pension next April, but have now got to wait 6 more years.
Count me in!
I'm grumpy.
I moan about modern music.
I have been heard to say "in my day"
My joints ache when it rains.
And the absolute proof: I wear comfy shoes even if they are by Hotter.

When there was a post saying "I intend to self-identify as a man at my local swimming pool" it seemed like just an idea.
But the poster was serious and the result was ManFriday.

Go for it, thatdamnwoman!

I am age-fluid - I identify as 18 to get student perks but also wish to identify as a 55 year old when it comes to buying car insurance. Some days I identify as a 2 year old so I can legitimately take mid-morning naps and some days I identify as an 98 year old so I can take postprandial naps too. Sometimes I'll identify as a 2 year old and a 98 year old on the same day (nothing to do with wanting two naps).

I'm not hurting anyone so why does your right to reality trump my inner identity? It'd be literal violence to suggest that I'm actually 31 and how dare you erase me! Now where can I sign up to a reception class - I think I'm feeling 5 years old today.

I hope the people who now call themselves 'girls' aren't planning on taking their pensions for another 50-odd years!

Someone has just brought me down to earth by suggesting that even if I could be issued with a certificate indicating that my body is 66, the government would draw a distinction between my chronological age, as per birth certificate, and my physical age and just argue that pensions are paid according to chronological age.

They've also pointed out that my physical age may not be fixed. Trips to the gym, and improved diet and physiotherapy may bring it down. So I'm going to have to go back to the drawing board on this one.