A new study by the Centre for Social Justice suggests current schoolchildren may not be able to access their state pension until age 75. The state pension age would need to reach 75 by 2093 to sustain the current worker-to-pensioner ratio, the study indicates. If births continue to fall, there might be only two working-age people to support every one pensioner, compared to four to one in 1970, according to the Centre for Social Justice study. By last year, there were around three and a half workers to one pensioner, major media sources note.
The state pension age is currently 66 and is about to rise to 67, multiple reports indicate. The state pension age will increase from 66 to 67 from April 2026 to April 2028, adding a month every two months, according to multiple reports. The next increase to age 68 is scheduled between 2044 and 2046, affecting those born on or after April 1977, major media sources report.
It is one thing for the costs of a retired person's pension, care and health services to be split between four working age people. It is quite another for the burden to be shared by just two.
Falling birth rates underpin these demographic pressures. The UK's Total Fertility Rate fell to 1.41 in 2024, below the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population, major media sources report. Britain now needs 250,000 more births every year to maintain a stable population without migration, according to the Centre for Social Justice report cited by major media. A collapsing birth rate means 600,000 women today risk missing out on motherhood compared to their grandparents' generation, the Centre for Social Justice report states via major media. Britain currently has around 13 million people aged over 65, expected to rise to over 17 million by 2043, major media sources say. The share of older people in the population is expected to rise from roughly one in five today to one in four within two decades, major media sources indicate.
Financial implications are severe, with retirement savings concerns mounting. The Office for Budget Responsibility warns that UK public debt could rise to around 270% of GDP by the early 2070s due to ageing, according to major media. Auto-enrolment contribution rates, with a minimum 8% of salary, were designed to provide minimum retirement incomes when added to the state pension, major media sources report. A significant proportion of working-age adults are not saving enough for retirement, major media sources note.
We call on men across Britain to step up. Charities consistently told us that men are often the best role models for younger boys, but that they struggle to get them involved.
The report also highlights a 'crisis of masculinity' affecting young boys. A new report by the Centre for Social Justice found Britain is facing 'a crisis of masculinity' with young boys lacking role models, according to major media. Only one in four (27%) boys aged 10-15 said they were 'completely happy', down from one in three (36%) around 15 years ago, major media sources report. More young boys grow up with a smartphone than a father figure in the home, the Centre for Social Justice report states via major media.
Declines in youth services and community support exacerbate these issues. There are 1,000 fewer youth clubs today than 15 years ago, and youth workers have decreased by more than a third to about 1,662, major media sources report. Youth offending rates have risen and GCSE results have declined in areas where youth centres have closed, major media sources say. Only one in 20 men aged over 45 are currently involved in a sports club, with some areas as low as one in 100, major media sources indicate.
One of the most valuable lessons that sport can teach us is how to lose and then carry on.
The government has not yet detailed its response to the Centre for Social Justice report's warnings about demographic challenges. Specific measures the Centre for Social Justice is proposing to make it easier to start a family remain unclear. How policymakers or communities will address the reported 'crisis of masculinity' and lack of role models for boys is also undetermined.
Alternative solutions to raising the state pension age are under consideration, but their feasibility is debated. The timeline or likelihood for the state pension age to actually reach 75, given political and social feasibility concerns, is uncertain.