UK government set to abolish compulsory retirement

At a time when the UK pension system is literally creaking and on the verge of collapse, Harriet Harman today stepped forward with a suggestion that compulsory retirement should be abolished in the future. There is a growing feeling that many people over 65 years of age are literally being forced onto the scrapheap despite the fact they have significant knowledge and experience in many areas of business. So why has the government chosen today to launch this campaign?

Whether this particular campaign is the result of the worsening pension crisis in the UK or in fact a way to allow the older generation to continue working is open to debate. In reality it is probably a mixture of the two, empowering those over 65 years of age to continue working and improving their own standard of living. Despite the fact that the vast majority of us have lived a life where retirement automatically kicks in at 65 years of age, why are we so intent on throwing experienced and very knowledgeable staff onto the scrapheap?

It is also worth noting that those who work beyond the traditional retirement age will continue to contribute to the UK income tax system hence raising more money for the UK government and reducing the pressure on the benefit system. Is this a win-win situation?