Sir, – The Government is considering policies to increase the pension age from 66 in 2021 to 68 in 2039 because of a looming pensions crisis ("Employees will be able to work until State pension age under new proposal", News, October 8th). This will impact those of us born in or after 1971.
At precisely the same time, despite this crisis, the murmurings from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael parliamentary party meetings suggest they want to increase the State pension in this year’s budget.
How can the Government justify asking younger workers to pay for this when they will have to work an additional two years to claim their own pensions? How can they claim these two contradictory positions form a coherent pensions policy?
This is a blatant attempt at vote-buying at the expense of younger generations.– Is mise,
KATIE HARRINGTON,
Dunmore,
Co Galway.
Sir, – The recommendations made in the report by the Pensions Commission make for welcome reading.
It certainly seems fair that employees can work until the State pension kicks in and that the retirement is raised on a phased basis. Based on increasing longevity, this makes total sense.
The vital part of the equation is auto-enrolment where we begin to take increasing responsibility for our own pensions, and not keep depending on Government (taxpayer!) money to bail us out at the end of our working lives. – Yours, etc,
NEVILLE SCARGILL,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – Not only were private pensions funds raided to support the State coffers during the Fine Gael-led government following the economic crisis, now it is proposed to apply PRSI to those pensions.
Many of those funds are dependant on finite resources to provide for future income, unlike defined benefit schemes.
What next for pensioners who exercised retirement planning to save the exchequer having to provide for them? – Yours, etc,
TONY BRISCOE,
Portmarnock,
Co Dublin.