Inès Zeghloul / Photo credit: JAKUB PORZYCKI / NURPHOTO / NURPHOTO VIA AFP
Across the Channel, the question of pensions is back on the table since the publication of a paper recommending raising the statutory retirement age to 71. Potentially dividing the British. Some are considering returning to private pensions.
The Reformation was not confined to France. In the UK too, the British want to save for their pensions. Across the Channel, a study by the International Center for Longevity recommends raising the statutory retirement age from 66 to 71 to compensate for the shortfall in assets.
With a total population of almost 67 million Britons, a steadily increasing median age of 41 and a steadily declining working population of 33 million. Consequence: So the government needs to contribute more to provide pension for all.
A chance that didn't bother John. “I'm all for it. Nowadays, most people retire at 65, 66 or 67. Actually, they're still young, people are living longer, they're in better shape. I think it's possible to work until 70 or 71 without a problem, ” he explains.
Private pensions
Apart from the undermining of the state pension, there are also generous private pensions that companies offer to working people, and those who benefit from them, like Sarah, can sometimes retire earlier. The banker doesn't want to lose it. “God, working until 71 is terrible! I find it unfair, I don't know why I contribute so much to other people's pensions. Especially since some people don't even try to work,” she criticizes.
The fifty-year-old believes the government needs to undertake real employment reform to encourage people to work. The most interesting lever, according to him, is the return to the status of retired worker.
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