Grey Expectations

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Governernment policy on pension qualifying age “wholly unacceptable” – Patricia King (ICTU)

Scramble for grey vote with pension age row (Independent,ie)

Martin pledges to defer increasing pension age to 67 if FF takes power (Herald)

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12 thoughts on “Grey Expectations

  1. Jake38

    Young taxpayers can’t afford to pay a pension for 30 years to an increasingly ageing population. Raising the pension age is actually sensible public policy (something you don’t see too often in Ireland).

    How’s Mick planning to pay for it?

    1. Charger Salmons

      It might be sensible but this is politics and Varadkar and FG have clearly miscalculated grey public opinion.
      Inevitable, I suppose, when you’re too busy preening yourself in front of Druncker & Co and playing the big I Am on the ” world stage. ”
      Enda would never have made the same mistake and Bertie was the cutest hoor of them all when it came to having his finger on the pulse.
      FG need some good news and they need it fast.

      1. V

        Grey Public Opinion is their core vote
        So of course they’re backtracking

        All any of this
        And their calamities since Leo tripped over himself to get to the Áras shows us,
        Is that Leo, and the Fine Gael campaign are completely out of touch

        And that explains why he’s just closed the door on the worst Government along with the thickest of Cabinets in the history of the state.

        It’s what they know is coming down the line and are running away from is what we should be worried about

  2. JD

    At the end of the day, economics will decide the pension age. The population is aging and that has a cost. The increase in retirement age can be deferred now. Pain deferred but more pain down the line. Either higher taxes, higher deficit or increase the pension age. Policy promises by any side given on the hoof in an election have little weight.

    1. Qwerty123

      Not really, most people’s contracts say 60-65, people will go on the dole/disability until they reach the stat retirement age.

      Robbing Peter to pay Paul

      1. Charger Salmons

        Except that having worked all their lives some people might object strongly to being made to sign on for a couple of years.
        Of course this only matters in the private sector because public sector workers sorted this out some time ago.
        The sound you can hear is Varadkar scrambling to come up with something plausible that doesn’t look like an election sop.

      2. GiggidyGoo

        Yes – but they can only get unemployment benefit for 9 months. If they’re married they ‘might’ get a Qualified Adult figure as well – but that is means tested. So if the retiree and partner have savings (which at that age, they probably have) it is in all probability that they won’t receive the Qualified Adult amount)

        After the 9 months, the retiree would go onto jobseeker’s allowance – and, because of savings, he/she will in all probability will have nothing near the jobseekers benefit amount thus eating into the savings put aside for old age.

        So the grey folk are quite correct to be worried. And they’re copping on.

        And all we get from FFG is the usual ‘we are looking at’ soundbites, quickly forgotten after the election.

    2. GiggidyGoo

      But we have full employment? So plenty of income tax coming in.
      Higher taxes? Well we have them. LPT USC ‘Green’ Taxes etc. Not on the Googles of this world though.

  3. Madam X

    Another foot in mouth from inside the FG (we are your saviours) bubble . A big burst will happen on the 8th

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