State Pension: WASPI urge state to find retirement age fix after life expectancy shock

State pension has faced pressures from rising life expectancy for years now, with the government being forced to raise the state pension age to accommodate people living longer. Life expectancy and health issues were put under the microscope in 2010. A review was requested by the then Secretary of State for Health to look into the most cost effective evidence-based strategies for reducing health inequalities across England.

Professor Sir Michael Marmot, an expert in epidemiology, was tasked with this work and the report was dubbed “The Marmot Review”. This review has now been updated and it has revealed some startling insights.

There have been shocking revelations for life expectancy. Over the last few decades, life expectancy has consistently risen in developed nations.

However, over the last decade life expectancy has actually fallen in some deprived areas of England.

As detailed in the report: “England is faltering. From the beginning of the 20th century, England experienced continuous improvements in life expectancy but from 2011 these improvements slowed dramatically, almost grinding to a halt.

“For part of the decade 2010-2020 life expectancy actually fell in the most deprived communities outside London for women and in some regions for men. For men and women everywhere the time spent in poor health is increasing.

“Put simply, if health has stopped improving it is a sign that society has stopped improving. Evidence from around the world shows that health is a good measure of social and economic progress.

“When a society is flourishing health tends to flourish. When a society has large social and economic inequalities there are large inequalities in health.

“The health of the population is not just a matter of how well the health service is funded and functions, important as that is: health is closely linked to the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age and inequities in power, money and resources – the social determinants of health. The damage to the nation’s health need not have happened.”

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As highlighted by the report, the health of a nation is closely tied to various economic factors and outcomes. This new evidence was commented on by the WASPI campaign as it has clear ramifications for retirement.

They commented: “A new report on the fall in life expectancy gives WASPI women something else to write to their MPs about. Part of the defence for raising the State Pension age for women for up to six years and one year for men is that ‘we’re all living longer’.”

A spokesperson for WASPI, elaborated further: “WASPI are aware of the Marmot Review into health inequalities in England, and the 2020 update.

“It rightly recognises that the ‘abrupt change in the State Pension age for women which has risen from 60 to 66, has penalised women nearing the age of retirement’.

“The findings show that women affected are on average £32 per week worse-off, and the effect is greater for women in lower income households.

“The increase in older women’s poverty is appalling and we believe that mismanaged changes to the State Pension age are a key reason for this.

“Sadly, WASPI are not surprised about these findings as they reflect the experience for many WASPI women who have seen two rises to their State Pension age without adequate notice, leaving them with little to no time to make alternative arrangements for their retirement.

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