Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has ruled out direct financial compensation for WASPI women, citing affordability. However, he expressed openness to alternative benefits like subsidized transport, echoing past support for the group facing state pension age changes.
Graduates feel exploited as "cash cows" to fund pensions due to student loan changes, MPs heard. Critics compare the "sneaky" alterations to loan terms to mis-selling scandals, with interest rates increasing debt beyond original amounts.
Deprivation and inequality are behind the fall in healthy life expectancy, writes George Binette. Plus letters from Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay, Dr Louise Lawson and Chris PhillipsonHelen McCarthy writes that today’s struggle “is the right to live a good, meaningful life, and to live it right to the end” (Britain pioneered the comfortable retirement – but that golden age is coming to an end, 2 May). Ironically, her column appeared days after the Health Foundation reported a notable fall of roughly two years in healthy life expectancy across the UK in the decade between 2012-14 and 2022-24 to below 61 years for both men and women – significantly below the state pension age. Among 21 high-income countries, Britain’s ranking slumped from 14th to 20th against this measure, ahead only of the US.The reasons for this relative and absolute decline are, of course, multifaceted, but there is an undeniable link to relative deprivation. With the state pension age continuing to rise and the Tony Blair Institute effectively calling for abolishing the meagre state pension, Prof McCarthy’s assertion that “the right to retire was yesterday’s struggle,” seems dubious at best. Pensioner poverty in Britain remains widespread and far worse than in France and Italy. Continue reading...
The Tony Blair Institute has urged Labour to scrap the pensions triple lock, calling it 'unaffordable' as Britain's ageing population drives up costs. The thinktank warns state pension spending will rise from 5% to 7.8% of GDP by 2070, adding £85bn annually. It proposes a pre-election pact to end the policy and replace it with a 'lifespan fund'. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said the government will not drop the triple lock despite mounting financial pressure from Middle East conflict and inflation.
The UK maintains two different state pension systems following 2016 reforms. The new state pension is now worth £241.30 per week, while the old basic state pension pays £184.90. Those who reached state pension age before 6 April 2016 remain on the old system requiring 30 years of national insurance contributions, while newer retirees qualify for the new system with just 10 years of contributions. The government has no plans to automatically move all pre-2016 pensioners to the new system.
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