Tories making us work till we drop

The Tory war against the working people of Britain goes on with the raising of the retirement age earlier than planned. Once again, the people who have toiled the hardest will have to work the longest. The rich will put their feet up whenever they feel like it.

It is pleasing that Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to freeze any increase in the retirement age, so I do hope working people remember that at the next election.

And where are all these jobs for the elderly to come from? Modern technology will wipe out most of the jobs older people do.

I suspect the Tories know that and they just want to peg older workers on to Jobseeker’s Allowance rather than let them have the state pension they’ve paid in for – which is one of the smallest in Europe. John Bainbridge, Penrith, Cumbria When are the people of this country going to wake up? The new increase in pension age is typical of the Tory mantra of work harder and longer for less money. This is solely aimed at the working classes who play with a straight bat and pay their dues so they can get their pension after years of graft. The whole point of retirement is to move aside for the youth to take over. The Philip Hammonds of this world can retire when they like – unlike the grafters who will have to carry on until they drop. Brian Scully Wigan, Gtr Manchester It’s time for the country to have a rethink on state pensions. It’s absurd that citizens are being ordered to work into their late 60s because we are an ageing population.

How can manual workers possibly be forced to work until they drop when their muscles have called it a day after a lifetime of physical effort?

The pension age should take into account the nature of work done, not only the age of the workers. Bill Cook, Teignmouth, Devon I sometimes wonder how stupid our ministers can be. With regard to bringing forward the rise in the pension age to 68, where will the jobs for young people come from if firms are employing older workers?

Also, an older person’s salary could pay two apprentices. Jeff Burton Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland It’s a fact that people are now living longer so the Government’s move to increase the state pension age should not come as a surprise. Britain is facing a pension crisis and we have to adjust. Most of us don’t do hard manual labour and so can expect to be fit and active well into our 70s. G Birchall, South London Some people may live longer, but what of those who die before they reach pension age? My husband died at 58 and many people die in their 70s. So it definitely is work until you drop. V E Golden Kingston upon Thames, Surrey The Tories have upped the pension age, yet a study reveals the rise in life expectancy has levelled off. Are they hoping that most of us will keel over before we can claim our pension? Ed Royston, West Mids