Policymakers need to consider a wider range of approaches to encouraging work in later life, beyond reforms to pensions.
This is from the International Longevity Centre report (pdf) which examines the impact on social inequalities of policy initiatives and reforms to extend working lives in five European countries.
The report recommends:
- Workplaces are fundamental to health and wellbeing, so they should be made a priority setting for health promotion
- Employers need to be encouraged and supported to take action toward primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of ill health. These measures will be particularly important in sectors where early exit is widespread, such as the health and care sector
- It will be important to monitor the impact of pension age increases on patterns of work and benefit receipt. If policy changes only lead to more years spent drawing on other benefits before taking a state pension, the extending working lives agenda will not be effective in supporting fiscal sustainability.
