Retirement woes for young and old (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Retirement woes for young and old

11:00am Friday 17th February 2012 in Bradford By James Rush

A rising age of retirement in Bradford could make it more difficult for the growing younger population in the district to find work, a senior councillor has warned.

But a growing number of older people in the district were “living in real hardship” and finding it more difficult to be able to afford to retire, a campaigner for older people’s rights has claimed.

The statements came on the back of official figures released by the Office for National Statistics yesterday which revealed the average age of retirement has risen as those approaching state pension age struggle to pay for their later years.

The statistics showed people were working longer, as the average age at which they leave the labour market rose from 63.8 years to 64.6 years for men and from 61.2 years to 62.3 years for women, between 2004 and 2010.

Bradford Council, one of the biggest employers in the district, has confirmed its average retirement age was 65.

Councillor Amir Hussain, Bradford Council’s executive member for adult and community services, said if people’s health allowed them to continue to work then they should be free to do so.

But he warned people working for longer could also provide difficulties for the younger population in the district to find work.

He said: “The other issue is we have got a growing younger population as well.

“If people are staying in their jobs for longer, that will have an impact on the younger end trying to find jobs.”

But the statistics did reveal increasing the state pension age would reduce the burden of an ageing population on the working masses.