Russia increases retirment age above average life expectancy

Retirement ages have been going up around the world, including in Britain, mostly because they have been driven up as increases in life expectancy make it impossible to fund longer and longer periods of retirement.

However, we had better try to avoid doing to pensioners what the Russian government has just put forward.

While many Russians were watching their football team play Saudi Arabia in the world cup, Vladimir Putin's sidekick and musical chairs partner Dmitry Medvedev, who keeps the Presidential chair warm for Putin when the term limit rules force him to drop down to Prime Minister and then swaps back, obviously decided that it was what Blairite spin doctors call "a good time to bury bad news."

So he slipped out some controversial policy announcements such as a 20% hike in VAT and proposals to increase the pension age for men from 60 to 65 years old, and increasing the pension age for women from 55 to 63 years old.

As has been pointed out by some very brave Russians on twitter, average male life expectancy in Russia is only 63 - two years younger than the proposed new retirement age.

Opposition politician Ilya Yashin called the Russian government's proposals "mad" on Facebook. I do hope nothing happens to him.

Comments

Anonymous said…
This is a fine solution worthy of any Conservative government
9:01 am
Chris Whiteside said…
More like New Labour's way of doing things in my humble opinion - particularly burying bad news announcements by slipping them out during Russia's world cup match against Saudi Arabia
4:31 pm
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