Partner Article

Retirement for men and women starting later

The average age at which men and women retire has increased in recent years, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It reportedly said the average age at which men stopped working and retired rose from 63.8 years in 2004 to 64.5 in 2009.

At the same time the average age for women rose from 61.2 to 62 years.

The figures are likely to keep rising as the state pension age is set to rise over the next few years, and workers will also be allowed to retire later.

The state pension age (SPA) for women will rise to 65 by 2018, and will then increase to 66 for both sexes by 2020.

Further increases to 67 and then 68 are still scheduled to be achieved by 2046.

The default retirement age of 65 that employers can apply to their staff is also being abolished by the government on 1 October 2011.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .