(10 September 2021)
STOP67 to continue campaign against rise in pension age following Pensions Commission recommendation
The STOP67 coalition has said it will continue to campaign against an increase in the State pension age, notwithstanding any decision by the Pensions Commission to recommend its deferral until 2028.
The coalition, which includes the National Women’s Council (NWC), Age Action, Active Retirement Ireland and SIPTU, was responding to media reports that the Pensions Commission has recommended an increase in the pension age to 67 from 2028 and 68 from 2039.
“The recommendation is a clear vindication of the campaign in advance of the February 2020 general election, by STOP67 and other parties, to stop the proposed increase in the State pension age from January 2021,” Orla O’ Connor, Director of the NWC, said. “The recommendation to defer the increase and kick the can down the road to 2028 does not reflect the widespread public opposition to the proposal as expressed in the popular vote. It merely postpones that debate until the next election.”
According to Nat O’Connor, Policy Specialist with Age Action, the recommendation, as reported, appears to undermine the claims made previously by the Government and other commentators that the proposed increase was an urgent, fiscal, imperative.
“If it was so urgent, for fiscal reasons, to increase the pension age in 2021, why does the Pensions Commission suggest it can be held back until 2028 and beyond? We previously questioned the basis of the fiscal and sustainability arguments for the proposed increase and we will be interested to read the full report in relation to this and other important recommendations when it is published. Meanwhile, the STOP67 coalition will continue to campaign for a fair and flexible pensions system for all,” he said.
ENDS
