A state pension age rise "isn't fair," claimants have fumed, as healthy life expectancy in the UK plunges. Between 2012-14 and 2022-24, UK healthy life expectancy fell by two years across the population as a whole. It now stands at 60.7 years for men and 60.9 years for women.
This is a particularly pertinent problem for older people claiming the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) state pension, which is rising in age. Sarah Coles from Hargreaves Lansdown said: "There are no guarantees any of us will make it to state pension age in robust health, and in nine out of ten areas of the UK, the average person doesn't. It raises the question of what you'd do if you needed to fill the gap."
Those polled by Standard Life shared their concerns about the imminent hike to the state pension age. One man, 64, from the East of England said: "I can understand the need for it to rise, because we're all living a lot longer and it's got to be paid for somehow. And if everybody's taking the state pension and not contributing, there's not going to be enough money to go around. But it's just a bit unfortunate that it's happened with my generation."
A woman, 63, from London added: "It keeps increasing, and that's not fair. It's not fair... When they say 'we are setting this date', it wasn't that long ago. My mum retired at 60, and now it's risen... I just wish they wouldn't just [increase it] willy nilly..."
The state pension age is set to increase to 67 by 2028, affecting anyone born after 1961, with further rises to 68 planned for 2046. Ms Coles suggested this timeline could be brought forward. "In 2022-24, healthy life expectancy in most areas was below the current state pension age of 66 years," the thinktank says. "This means that in most places, people on average spend some years in ill-health before reaching retirement." In the poorest areas it is less than 55 years, "indicating that many people in these areas are entering ill-health during their working age."
A DHSC spokesperson said: "It is a disgrace that as a nation we became unhealthier over the last decade which is why we are committed to tackling health inequalities and building a healthier Britain. The government is already delivering radical measures such as a generational ban on smoking and clamping down on junk food advertising targeted at kids to help parents raise the healthiest generation of children ever. We know there is much more to do, but by building an NHS fit for the future, we will help people live well for longer, whatever their background."
