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15 July 2009 Retirement age 'set to end' as review is brought forward

The Government has brought forward its review of the default retirement age by a year, prompting speculation that the default could be scrapped.

While most people in the UK retire by the age of 65, 1.3 million continue working beyond this point.

The Government said that it has brought the review forward from 2011 to 2010 because of changing demographic and economic circumstances.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has welcomed the news. TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said, 'It cannot be right that an employer can sack someone simply for being too old. A key challenge as we live and stay active longer is developing the right kind of jobs, support and training for older workers'.

However, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) described the decision as 'disappointing', arguing that 81% of employers already accept employee requests to continue working beyond the default age.

Katja Hall, Director of HR Policy at the CBI, said, 'Some people can happily work in their existing job beyond the age of 65, but this is not possible for all occupations, and companies with smaller numbers of staff have particular problems adapting jobs to the needs of older workers'.