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RAISING PENSIONS AGE to 67?
It’s "tinkering at the edges" says Help the Aged
Reacting to Gordon Brown and David Blunkett's comments on proposals to
raise the state pension age to 67, Adrian Thomas, spokesperson
at Help the Aged said:
"Simply raising the age limit at which people become eligible for
state pension will not solve the pensions crisis - it will only put it
off for another day. The Government should avoid policies which will
do no more than tinker at the sidelines and store up problems for the
next generation. Raising questions for debate on pensions reform is
all well and good, but Government must get real about the pensions
crisis.
"The better solution would be to introduce flexible retirement ages
which would allow workers to choose with their employers when to draw
a pension. Just because someone reaches a particular birthday does not
mean that they are no longer fit to work - many people want and need
to carry on working. Flexibility in retirement combined with decent
savings schemes for today's workforce provide the best means of
achieving security in older age."
‘Scotland’s oldest male driver, 96, faces ban after 20mph police
pursuit’ – headline in Guardian
Get exhibition tickets half price
Join the National Art Collections Fund and you’ll be able to get in
free (or at reduced rate) to many art galleries, exhibitions, historic
houses and museums all over the UK. A quarterly magazine in full
colour keeps you up to date with latest news on exhibitions along with
lectures and special events exclusive to members. A year’s
subscription costs £28 (over 65s). An unusual Christmas present maybe?
See www.artfund.org
for more info.
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Silver surfers get happy
Since you use a computer and are (probably) what’s known as a
‘silver surfer’, we at laterlife are hazarding a guess that you are
happier and healthier than non-computer-users of the same age.
A study of 200 older New Yorkers by the American Psychological
Association showed that computer-users reported fewer symptoms of
depression and were altogether more cheerful. Users aged around 80 in
a residential home accessed chat rooms, sent emails to their families
and friends and used the internet to gain knowledge of health
problems.
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What later lifers in Britain eat and drink for breakfast
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According to a survey by Waitrose, marmalade is the works for people
over 65, 60% of whom chose it as their favourite toast topping.
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Among
15-24 year olds the top topping is jam, with only 10% voting for
marmalade.
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Tea is
the most popular morning drink for almost everyone, especially the
over 65s. And with 3% of 15-24 year olds saying their favourite
breakfast drink is Champagne, you wonder who’s kidding who.
Financial advice – good and bad
More than 70% of financial advisers give bad advice over equity
release schemes says the Financial Services Authority (FSA). These are
the schemes, often used by older people, that let you release cash
from your property so that you can borrow against the house value.
Advisers don’t always explain the risks and may suggest that people
borrow more than they need to. To find out more, get the FSA’s equity
release scheme factsheet from
www.fsa.gov.uk or ring 0845 456 1555..
Where ageism flourishes
In Britain, people are more likely to discriminate against you because
of your age than the colour of your skin or your gender, says Dominic
Abrams, professor of Social Psychology at the University of Kent.
A national survey of age-related prejudice, carried out among 1,843
people, showed 29 per cent reported suffering age discrimination -- a
higher proportion than for any other kind of prejudice including
sexism and racism.
Ageism, according to the professor, is the most pervasive form of
prejudice experienced in the UK population.
The survey, compiled for the University of Kent and Age Concern,
showed that on average people see youth as ending at 49 and old age
beginning at 65.
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Women,
however, judge that youth ends almost five years later and old age
begins three years later than men do.
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Older
people are perceived as being friendlier than younger people, but
younger people are seen as more competent and capable.
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Respondents tended to believe organisations avoided employing older
people to protect their image, and nearly half of those between the
ages of 25 and 65 said they would not be happy with a boss under the
age of 30.
Improving payment for long-term care
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has published a review of issues
facing the current system of paying for long-term care for older
people, asking how this system could be improved to deliver better
outcomes for clients and their families.
Facing the cost of long-term care: Towards a sustainable funding
system by Donald Hirsch, brings together evidence and discussions
assembled by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. It identifies some key
challenges that need addressing in order to start moving towards a
fairer, more rational and adequate system of funding. In setting out
the challenges, the paper gives illustrations of policy options, for
discussion and further development.
Facing the cost of long-term care is available now as a free
PDF download or as a paperback report, priced £9.95, from
http://www.jrf.org.uk/
bookshop/details.asp?pubID=714.
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