State pension age to increase every five years

This is the issue on which I most agree with the aim of the present government. As we live longer and an ever higher percentage of the population are over 65 so successive governments have shied away from the demographic timebomb of how we will pay for our old age. Raising the retirement age is unpopular and it is good that the new coalition has the courage to tackle it. If 50 is the new 40 then why not 70 as the new 65?

Common Sense prevails, by 2085 the pension age will be 80 and no default retirement age..and surely no more sex discrimination?

In 2001 the average life expectancy for males was 75 and females 80

In 1945 when the Welfare State started the average life expectancy was 63 for men and 68 for women, in other words the average male died before reaching retirement age.

By 2085 we'll be back to issuing pensions in line with 1945 life expectancy, so long as we don't go on living any longer.

Which means those born in the UK today will in 2085 will be 75 with five more years ahead of them before they can expect any state pension and maybe six if the age is raised to 81 in 2090.

People need adequate warning of theses changes so that they can choose to spend, and work on later, or save so that they can retire when they want to on their own savings. We should be encouraging people to look after themselves and not be totally reliant on the state.

This is great theory but how are people supposed to work until they are 80 when there is no work even for young people at the moment?

I don't understand why we have to wait so long until women are on an equal level with men in terms of pension age.

I guess that a great proportion of the working population would welcome a higher retirement age as for myself I can not see me doing practically nothing from the age of 65. Individuals with good savings and high pensions may not mind retiring at 65 though. But we need to accommodate and find jobs for the younger generation too, thus creating jobs is paramount.

There should be a formal State Pension contract between the individual and the government to enable pensions planning. Government should be compelled to compensate individuals when they dont meet there side of the contract.

If ...

In 2001 the average life expectancy for males was 75 and females 80

Surely, the retirment ages of men and women should be reversed!

I for one am fed up with the sexual bias against men.

Friday night at the local Disco, "Women free, men 5 pounds"

I would guess that Keith Dillingham is no older than 30. How would he feel if he'd worked full time for 40 years and a new Government suddenly took away a year of his pension. I've worked from the age of 16 to 56 paying tax and NI all that time and now the goalposts have been moved. Wait until you're 65 and looking forward to another 5 years at work Keith !

Is everyone stupid? How many of us oldies will be made redundant, then claim benefits? How many will become unfit for work (many illnesses afflict us oldies), then claim benefits? How many will have to become carers for an ill partner, then claim benefits? How many youngsters will NEVER be able to get a job, then claim benefits?

The benefits bill will be huge. AND.....when do peple get a chance to enjoy some time off after working many many years and contributing to the system?

Isn't government meant to be FOR the people. I hope that the grey generation being deprived of their hard earned 'retirement' vote correctly in the next election.