ALONE strongly oppose reported pension age increase recommendation from the Commission on Pensions
ALONE is disappointed to learn of the reports that the Commission on Pensions is to recommend gradually increasing the pension age from 2028 to 2031. The organisation states, ‘working into our late 60s and beyond should be an option, not an obligation, particularly for older works engaged in labour-intensive work.’
CEO Seán Moynihan commented, “We do not agree that the pension age should be increased and believe that keeping the pension at 66 is sustainable.
“We are aware of the arguments brought forward by proponents of pension age increase, maintaining that the current pension age will be financially unsustainable for the State. While pension expenditure is set to increase from 7.4 per cent of GNI* in 2019 to 12.3 per cent in 2070, age-related expenditures at the other end of the life-cycle, such as education, are set to decrease. Thus, adequate planning and provision would allow Ireland to avoid increasing its pension age.
“Proponents of pension age increases also point to an increase in quality of life, allowing for people to work longer into older age. However, this point of view fails to take into consideration the fact that 126,100 adults over 55 are living with frailty, which could impact their need to retire early and could therefore impact their ability to meet contributions for a full pension.”
As part of ALONE’s Budget 2022 submission, the organisation has made the following recommendations on the State Pension:
- Keep the pension age at 66
- Increase the State Pension by €10.50 per year over the next five years, triple-lock and benchmarking
- Introduce legislation to implement the Total Contributions Approach
ALONE’s Budget 2022 submission can be found here.