While there is much of interest in Phillip Inman’s article, it’s a bit simplistic to suggest that national woes arise from lazy, early-retiring baby boomers (Get early retirees off the golf course and back to work – why early retirement isn’t good for UK plc, 26 July).
It’s true to recognise that we’re in an advantageous position that others aren’t, but few of us have the luxurious boardroom pensions he suggests we have. Rather, many of us reached the position by long working hours, and saving for such a retirement. Putting money into saving for a future, rather than buying a new car each year, doesn’t make me responsible for low growth of the UK economy. Indeed many early retirees are driving charities through their volunteering work. These charities often now fill the gap left by government austerity.
This notion that we can all have happy productive jobs into our 70s is for most a fallacy. Anyone over 55 looking for a job will tell you that companies prefer cheaper “just done the training” younger candidates over older “with experience” candidates. For many people, even those like teachers, the sometimes hidden physical demands of their roles make being forced to work longer a frightening experience. Where are the jobs for us oldies to do? If there are any left in this artificial intelligence/technology-driven world, we’d be taking them from the young anyway.
Of course for many people, the idea of early retirement is a fantasy and any retirement looks impossible. This is, however, just another example of the ever-widening inequality in society. The solution has to be a wealth tax on those who do suck money out of the economy to fund their excessive lifestyles continuously, and not just in retirement.
Neil Heydon-Dumbleton
Pathhead, Midlothian
