"As work for me was a detestable experience for many years, the thought of expecting anyone working beyond the age of 60 in order to earn a pension horrifies me. There is much more to life than "work" and we should be able to retire earlier so that we can enjoy life while we are still reasonably active without being restricted by the rules and regulations of employment."

"Oh how glad I am that I am aged 73Oh how glad I am that I am aged 73 and am too infirm to be sent down the mines. Apparently everyone is going to live longer and so our new benevolent government had decided that voters will be privileged to work longer before qualifying for State pension. We can only wait with bated breath and a definite absence of hope for the world of medical research to devise the means by which 60 to 70 year olds might retain the vigour and energy they enjoyed in their prime, and to nullify the inevitable deteriorating effects of ageing. This might enable them in their dotage to be fit enough to be employed, or to remain in employment. That is assuming any employer wants to employ cynical old farts, and by then nation-wide cynicism should be at record levels, and that is also assuming that employers haven't shunted most of the jobs abroad for cheaper pay roles. Shabby is the word that springs to mind. So folks are to work longer and receive less for their efforts. Massive staff cuts and pay freezes are to be the new way of life meaning that employees that are kept on will be expected to also share the workload of their now unemployed colleagues. All of these 'we're all in this together' sacrifices with no end in sight nor, I suspect, ever will be in sight, and deepening ongoing suspicion that we are being conned by the banks and financial experts that got us into this mess, and also the government that has let the banks off so lightly. Meanwhile the nauseating bonus culture continues to grow and thrive. Surely these are echoes of the grim Thatcher years? What is the current governmental buzz-word? Back then it was Rationalisation. This week on TV we were treated to a patronising lecture given by a no doubt well-heeled Lord somebody or other. The theme was that if because you qualify for council housing that probably will never be built you have been forced to rent from the private sector in a high rent area where you are employed, in future due to the crippling effect of housing benefit capping you should seek to rent in a low rent area (assuming any exist any more?). Am I mistaken but don't folks and their families flock to work in towns because that's where the jobs are, and so rents in towns are always higher? So you move to a low rent area where there are few available jobs but will lose your benefits unless you accept offered employment no matter whether it is suitable for you or not. Thank God we live in a free country where every case is judged upon its merit and its outcome is then always decided by inflexible blanket rules which when we appeal we are told, cannot be changed. Never mind, I gather that the UK is to create a new space programme and so maybe all of we 'oldies' could be shunted to some other planet where there's no toxic black holes nor ongoing war on terror! Meanwhile I think I'll have a lie down.Keep smiling cos we're British!David Brittain "