A leading advocacy group has slammed proposals to increase the State pension age to 70.
Age Action says this could have “serious health implications for workers”.
The Economic and Social Research Institute has recommended a number of measures to prevent the economy overheating, including that people would have to work until they’re 70 to qualify for the State Pension.
However, Age Action has criticised the idea, saying it could be particularly harmful for people who do physically demanding jobs.
Justin Moran, Head of Advocacy and Communications, said: “The pension age is already due to rise to 68 over the next ten years and we would be absolutely opposed to any suggestion to increase it again.
“Not everyone works in an office. Forcing workers in physically demanding jobs like construction, agriculture or healthcare to keep working as they age has serious health implications.”
He said that we need reforms that are fair and sustainable and claimed that hiking the State Pension age isn’t a good idea.
Mr Moran said: “The overwhelming majority of us are going to rely on the State Pension in retirement. We need to ensure it is fair and sustainable. But the solution is not simply to keep increasing the pension age.
“We need to abolish mandatory retirement, divert some of the money funding private pension tax breaks into the State Pension system and look at increasing social insurance contributions.”
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