The state pension age is set to increase to 68 by 2050 with anyone aged less than 47 facing a longer working life, the work and pensions secretary, John Hutton, said today. Only those born before 1959 will be unaffected by plans to phase in a higher retirement age over three decades, outlined in the government’s white paper on pension reforms. Starting in 2024, the age at which the state pension is paid will be increased in line with life expectancy, so that individuals continue to receive the state pension for the same proportion of their life. The state retirement age, which is set to be 65 for men and women by 2020, will rise to 66 between 2024 and 2026, to 67 between 2034 and 2036 and to 68 between 2044 and 2046.
The pensions white paper has been broadly welcomed by business groups and trade bodies, but pensioner organisations said it failed to do enough for today’s retirees. The Association of British Insurers said the reforms pointed policy "firmly in the right direction". Stephen Haddrill, its director-general, said the proposals would create a solid platform for a new savings culture in Britain. "Now the hard work really begins, for the pensions and insurance industry as much as for the government," he said.
Guardian Unlimited | Retirement age will rise to 68
White Paper