Plan to put state pension age up to 68 should be delayed amid fears that life expectancy is stalling, ministers are told
- MPs have raised concerns over the Government plans to raise the pension age
- The policy could force up to 10 million people due to retire to work an extra year
- MPs say data showing life expectancy has stalled means the policy is unjustified
Ministers have been urged to delay a rise in the state pension age to 68 in the light of data that suggests life expectancy is stalling.
MPs from across the Commons have raised concerns over reports the Government is planning to bring forward the pension age change from 2044 to the 2030s – although ministers have stressed no decisions have been made.
The policy change could force up to 10 million people currently due to retire at 67 to work an extra year before they can access their pension pot.
But MPs say data suggesting life expectancy has stalled means any rise to the pension age would be unjustified.
Tory MP Nigel Mills said: ‘If we accept that we should stick to the principle that we get roughly a third of our adult life in retirement, the reason why we would increase the state pension age is that we have seen a three-year increase in life expectancy, and that should give us two more years on the state pension age.’
MPs from across the Commons have raised concerns over reports the Government is planning to bring forward the pension age change from 2044 to the 2030s
But data suggests that from 2018 to 2020, men’s life expectancy fell by seven weeks, while women’s life expectancy has barely risen.
Mr Mills added: ‘If life expectancy data is not going up, as has been forecast, we should respond to the facts as they change and accept that our policy on expected changes to the state pension age can change as well.’
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