Retirement and me: 'She should be retired' How state pension age rise affected one couple

From volunteering to taking up a new skill, retirement is a time which, for many, offers an array of opportunities. At the age of 66, Mike now receives his state pension – having deferred it for a year. Following a career in the stage and theatre lighting industry, Mike later became a driving instructor. And, while he has now reached state pension age, he and his wife are feeling the impact from the state pension age changes for women. Sitting in his garden enjoying a glass of wine and meal in his retirement, Mike could not be joined by his wife, who was instead at work.

A former nurse, at the age of 64, Mike’s wife – who did not want to be named – now works on a zero hours contract as a carer for the elderly.

Due to the changes to the state pension age for women, she has three years to go until she reaches state pension age.

Mike told Express.co.uk: “Had she been retired already, she would have been in the garden with me having that meal. And, she would have been retired, not working until seven o’clock, which she does anyway now.”

He added: “It suddenly dawned on me, jeez, she should have really been retired by now, and she should be sitting here with me.”

Mike has said of the matter: “Having experienced a lifetime of inequality, women entering retirement are finding that they are getting an extremely raw deal when it comes to pensions.

“They have lost many thousands after working for decades and were, of course, expecting to retire and now find that they are years away from receiving their pensions.

“Many of these women are also unable to work because of poor health, some are having to claim Universal Credit, have been forced to use food banks and many have lost their homes.”

In the past, the state pension age for women stood at 60, while it was 65 for men.

Under the Pensions Act 1995 and Pensions Act 2011, the state pension age for women increased to reach state pension age parity with men in November 2018.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Mike said of the equalisation of the state pension age between men and women: “I do understand that the whole thing had to happen.

“It was decreed as it were by the EU that all member states should have to have, regardless of gender, equal retirement ages.”

However, many campaigners claim that they were not adequately informed of the changes.

A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has said: “The government decided more than 20 years ago that it was going to make the State Pension age the same for men and women as a long-overdue move towards gender equality, and this has been clearly communicated.

“We need to raise the age at which all of us can draw a State Pension so it is sustainable now and for future generations.”

Mike and his wife consider their situation to be lucky in comparison to others affected by the changes.

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With his wife’s wages, and his occupational pension and state pension, the couple can support themselves financially.

“My occupational pension came out a lot better than I thought it was going to, so I’ve managed to get a small annuity and I’ve got some further money invested so we can rely on that, on top of my state pension,” he detailed.

“And of course [that’s] in combination with my wife’s further earnings as a carer.”

Mike’s wife had a work pension as a nurse more than 30 years ago, but withdrew it early in order to do renovation work on their home, prior to the changes to the state pension age.

With no private pension in her future, she will solely rely on her state pension – something she plans to defer for a year in order to boost the amount that is paid per month.

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