21st Century Challenges

EU judges back UK retirement age

The UK's compulsory retirement age of 65 is not in breach of EU legislation, according to a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

Quality of life ‘getting worse for older people’

Effects of age discrimination, poverty and neglect worse than in previous years, says charity report

Top 10 places for retirement

With fun and fitness on the agenda, baby boomers are retiring to towns that have it all.

The end of final-salary pensions?

2009 will see a number of large organisations making a fundamental change to their company pensions - cancelling final salary schemes for existing members.

Baby boom Britain won’t retire quietly

For the first time ever, the number of Britons over 65 exceeds those under 16. As the country grows older, the demand is growing for people to be able to work beyond pensionable age. And with advanced years comes growing political power - so the debate about retirement age is set to intensify

Retirement gap years: mum’s gone to India

The “grey gap year” market is booming. Some 200,000 Britons of retirement age embark on long-haul trips every year, spending an average £5,000 per trip.

It’s better to keep older people in work

Forcing people to retire is at odds with a positive vision for our ageing society

Ageing’s silver lining

Singapore's location in Asia, the world's fastest-ageing region, places it in a prime spot to seize the economic and social opportunities that come with ageing

Opinions shift towards longer working hours

A majority of Britons now favour longer working lives if it means a more generous pension in retirement, a significant shift of opinion in the few years since the subject was raised by the Pensions Commission report in 2005

The Briton’s who can’t afford to become old

The UK population is getting older and faces deep financial, emotional and health issues - a generation face working into their seventies - or living out their old age in penury.

George Magnus: Britain is growing old and we’re not ready

Baby-boomers pose an economic threat, George Magnus says. Will the Government take heed?

Majority are resigned to working longer after pension collapse

The majority of Britons accept they will be forced to work beyond 65 after watching the value of pensions collapse. Six in ten said they realised they would have to stay in jobs longer to save up more money, a poll shows.

Baby-boom workers become pension aristocrats

Workers over 50 in white collar, management roles have the most valuable pensions, paying two-thirds of their final salary

Britain’s population time-bomb? The challenges and opportunities of an ageing society

US pensioners mentally ‘10 years younger’ than those in England

Researchers found that Americans had better memories, were quicker witted and were generally smarter than their English counterparts. And the older the pensioner, the greater the difference, claimed researchers.

The end of retirement

Demography means virtually all of us will have to work longer. That need not be a bad thing

End of retirement age signal

The government has brought forward by a year a review of the default retirement age of 65.

Baby bust nations will face hard times as populations age

Population growth is beneficial for any economy, but for investors it is better if the median age of that population is low, ie a young economy.

Social care green paper: reaction in quotes

The government has set out its blueprint for reforming care for older and disabled people. Key figures in the social care sector give their response