What is the oldest "thing" you can be too young for?

[Howardh]

The telegram for your 100'th birthday doesn't count!

Example - 59 is too young for a senior railcard!

I think the enhanced winter fuel payment comes in when you are 80, so therefore at 79 you are too young. Are there any other more examples of when you are "too young" at a very experienced age??

 

[D6130]

65 is too young for a free bus pass.

 

[jfollows]

Free prescriptions - 59 because currently 60 is the qualifying age, although there is a good likelihood of changing this to the state pension age, the question is really about whether they do it one year at a time or all at once.
Free TV licenses - 74 is too young, and you now have to be a recipient of Pension Credit as well.

EDIT Generally I think there are a lot of things which are free over a certain age which are vital to poorer pensioners but which make no sense really to richer ones - but we then get into arguments about means testing or not.

FURTHER EDIT Also just taking a pension, now set to 10 years lower then the prevailing state pension age, I remember it used to be 50, but for me it was 55 (even though I won't be eligible to the state pension until I'm 67, when I was 55 the state pension age was 65) and I actually started taking a pension at 56 in the end.

 

[Howardh]

As an aside, when my parents were still both alive, in their late 80's, I so wanted to find a pub which had the joke sign saying "Free beer to anyone over 60 if accompanied by both parents!". Never did find one!

Back to my topic, the enhanced winter fuel allowance at 80 hasn't been beaten yet! At least I've been reminded of renewing my TV licence.

 

[Calthrop]

As an aside, when my parents were still both alive, in their late 80's, I so wanted to find a pub which had the joke sign saying "Free beer to anyone over 60 if accompanied by both parents!". Never did find one!

I'd heard that crack, in terms of "over 80 if accompanied by both parents". Not outright impossible, I suppose; but extremely rare ...

 

[duncanp]

For me, 66 will be too young to claim my state pension, because the age at which I am eligible for it has been increased twice.

At 74, you are too young for a free TV licence.

 

[scotrail158713]

65 is too young for a free bus pass.

Apart from in Scotland

 

[yorksrob]

65 is too young for a free bus pass.

Is it ? That's pretty rubbish.

 

[Howardh]

Apart from in Scotland

Is it ? That's pretty rubbish.

Bus pass is available if you're 60 in Scotland? Along with the free prescriptions at any age!

Apply for or replace an older person's bus pass

How to apply for or replace an older person's bus pass in Scotland, and special conditions for use on trams, trains and ferries.

www.mygov.scot

To get an older persons bus pass you must be:

• aged 60+
• resident in Scotland

Wonder if there are any cross-border services which require a 60-65 yr old to pay for the English part of the leg?

 

[yorksrob]

Bus pass is available if you're 60 in Scotland? Along with the free prescriptions at any age!

Apply for or replace an older person's bus pass

How to apply for or replace an older person's bus pass in Scotland, and special conditions for use on trams, trains and ferries.

www.mygov.scot

Wonder if there are any cross-border services which require a 60-65 yr old to pay for the English part of the leg?

We could learn a thing or two from up north.

65 is generally acknowledged to be the age at which one obtains seniority. It should get the bus pass.

 

[AM9]

We could learn a thing or two from up north.

65 is generally acknowledged to be the age at which one obtains seniority. It should get the bus pass.

Thyat was true some tiome ago but life expectancy has improved since then, hence the 'retirement age' increasing, currently at 67.

 

[yorksrob]

Thyat was true some tiome ago but life expectancy has improved since then, hence the 'retirement age' increasing, currently at 67.

They say that, but I'm sure I've read something suggesting that it's stalled recently. So much so that forthcoming changes to the retirement age are barely justified !

 

[gmaguire]

Why did the chicken cross the road?

To get his pension.

Did you get it? Neither did he, he was too young.

 

[jfollows]

Thyat was true some tiome ago but life expectancy has improved since then, hence the 'retirement age' increasing, currently at 67.

On a technicality, I think it's currently 66. However I know that my state retirement age and entitlement to state pension will be at 67 because the retirement age is due to increase to 67 in 2028 or so, essentially anyone born after 6 March 1961 will have to wait until 67 whereas anyone born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 will have to wait until 66 years and some number of months.
Anyone born on or after 6 May 1977 will have a similar extension so that anyone born after 6 April 1978 will have to wait until they are 68.

 

[AM9]

They say that, but I'm sure I've read something suggesting that it's stalled recently. So much so that forthcoming changes to the retirement age are barely justified !

It has stalled since the banking crisis, i.e. over the period of the last 5 PMs. The '65' gateway was set before 1950. In 1958, male life expectancy was 11.7 (OECD average 13.4) years after state retirement age, in 2020, it had risen to 17.7 (OECD average 18.9) years.

 

[Howardh]

They say that, but I'm sure I've read something suggesting that it's stalled recently. So much so that forthcoming changes to the retirement age are barely justified !

Would covid have stalled life expectancy, or is that too early to call?

 

[yorksrob]

Would covid have stalled life expectancy, or is that too early to call?

It will have done, however I suspect the setback is a bit longer term as @AM9 suggests.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Dec 2022 ==

It has stalled since the banking crisis, i.e. over the period of the last 5 PMs. The '65' gateway was set before 1950. In 1958, male life expectancy was 11.7 (OECD average 13.4) years after state retirement age, in 2020, it had risen to 17.7 (OECD average 18.9) years.

But we must have had so much increased productivity/efficiency during the same period that the extra six years could have been easily provided for.

 

[AM9]

It will have done, however I suspect the setback is a bit longer term as @AM9 suggests.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Dec 2022 ==



But we must have had so much increased productivity/efficiency during the same period that the extra six years could have been easily provided for.

Productivity/efficiency in what?

 

[Verulamius]

Married couples allowance. One spouse/partner has to be born before 6 April 1935, so over 87 presently.

 

[yorksrob]

Productivity/efficiency in what?

Everything.

There must have been huge increases in productivity, automation, labour saving technology between 1950 and 2020.

That must have provided for the increased population being able to live without being in the labour force.

 

[Merle Haggard]

I'm puzzled by what 'life expectancy' means. Surely what happens in the future to people presently alive is uncertain. For instance, what was the life expectancy of a British man in 1913?

And doesn't life expectancy depend upon one's age? For example, the life expectancy of someone who's 60 (and obviously alive!) is higher than when they were 20, because the figure at 20 includes deaths between righten and 60, and the 60 figure does not.

 

[Howardh]

Married couples allowance. One spouse/partner has to be born before 6 April 1935, so over 87 presently.

Wow, that could be the *winner*!

As for life expectancy; https://www.direct.aviva.co.uk/MyTools/LifeExpectancy/YourLifeExpectancy (result shown, not sent in an email!!) I'm 64 and expected to live to 89. Seems about right as my parents died at 87/88 (one a moderate smoker, heart conditions + dementia) but I'll aim for 95.

Determined to be the first one on HS2, but might have to be 96.....

 

[Mcr Warrior]

For instance, what was the life expectancy of a British man in 1913?

Believe it was an average of 52 years from birth back then.

 

[Snow1964]

I'm puzzled by what 'life expectancy' means. Surely what happens in the future to people presently alive is uncertain. For instance, what was the life expectancy of a British man in 1913?

And doesn't life expectancy depend upon one's age? For example, the life expectancy of someone who's 60 (and obviously alive!) is higher than when they were 20, because the figure at 20 includes deaths between righten and 60, and the 60 figure does not.

It is the mean (average) age where people die. Different for males and females, and varies by area (diet, lifestyle, health etc)

So life expectancy is age expect to live to, some will live longer, some shorter

There is a regional summary on this link

Britain life expectancy by region 2023| Statista

Between 2021 and 2023, London was the region of the United Kingdom that had the highest average life expectancy for females, at 84.13 years, while South East England had the highest life expectancy for males at 80.32 years.

www.statista.com

Can see the changes over time on this graph, until about 1870 average life expectancy was below 42 years

United Kingdom: life expectancy 1765-2020| Statista

Life expectancy in the United Kingdom was below 39 years in the year 1765, and over the course of the next two and a half centuries, it is expected to have increased by more than double, to 81.1 by the year 2020.

www.statista.com

 

[johnnychips]

I was astounded to walk into the chemist a couple of years ago with my bank card in my hand ready to pay for my monthly gout prescription: no you don’t have to pay, you are over 60.

Same a couple of months ago, went to Specsavers for an eye test, didn’t have to pay.

Edit: I think there are some odd surprising things that you don’t have to pay for when you are 60 that you might have expected to wait for till the official retiring age.

And just to add the Concession Derbyshire Wayfarer £7.00 if you are over 60 for a ridiculously large area.

 

[Howardh]

I was astounded to walk into the chemist a couple of years ago with my bank card in my hand ready to pay for my monthly gout prescription: no you don’t have to pay, you are over 60.

Same a couple of months ago, went to Specsavers for an eye test, didn’t have to pay.

What baffles/annoys me most is when places, such as football or cricket grounds, cinemas etc advertise "concession tickets for seniors" without explaining at what age they consider "senior". I contacted one club, and the reply was...."we don't know"! So concession rates could be at 60, 65, 66? Whenever I've paid a concession entrance, my age has never been checked, and - thanks to a lot of nice, kind people (!) I'm told I look younger than I am.

 

[Snow1964]

Those who did National service (so got to be over 81) unless they deferred, can still get the later recognition eg a service medal if they haven’t already received it.

My father was in his 60s when he requested his, so he had a medal to display at remembrance parades etc.

 

[AM9]

Everything.

There must have been huge increases in productivity, automation, labour saving technology between 1950 and 2020.

That must have provided for the increased population being able to live without being in the labour force.

No, we still have a labour shortage now. The UK has a lower productivity than the larger EU countries as increasing output by investing in productivity is often replaced by encouraging/forcing longer hours. The health of the UK working class population improved along a similar path to that of other European countries, until the last few years when an extended period of austerity following the banking crisis depressed life expectancy more than it did on much of mainland Europe.

 

[yorksrob]

No, we still have a labour shortage now. The UK has a lower productivity than the larger EU countries as increasing output by investing in productivity is often replaced by encouraging/forcing longer hours. The health of the UK working class population improved along a similar path to that of other European countries, until the last few years when an extended period of austerity following the banking crisis depressed life expectancy more than it did on much of mainland Europe.

Er, you're comparing productivity with our peers now, not with ourselves sixty years ago.

Different thing.

 

[AM9]

Er, you're comparing productivity with our peers now, not with ourselves sixty years ago.

Different thing.

I'm comparing the progress of our peers with our lower level of progress. Similarly our increase of longevity that such progress also lags that of our peers.