Retirement Age

[Hopkirk]

Why did women used to have a retirement age of 60, when men's was 65?

[Redhelen72]

https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/publications/womens-state-pension-age-our-findings-department-work-and-pensions-communication/background-relating-changes-state-pension-age-women

[Hopkirk]

That seems to say both were equal at 65, but womens' was lowered in 1940. However I can't see an explanation why.

[Redhelen72]

Sorry I thought it covered it, I believe it’s to do with the ratio that women now contribute to the economy

[bobbinwales]

Sorry don't get your point redhelen. Yes women use to make up a smaller % of the workforce.... but why should that of meant a lower pension age.

[Redhelen72]

Sorry I was just mentioning something i read online hence ‘I believe’.

[rowanwitch]

So women would be freed up to care for elderly relatives or grandchildren allowing their daughters to go to work.
Also because the average age gap for marriage was about five years a couple would retire about the same time. With men's shorter life expectancy, and many jobs done by men having higher risks of occupational disability again the woman would be freed up to care n this case for her partner. There was also the idea that women were weaker and couldn't work for as long, and at that time working women would also be doing pretty much all the domestic chores, cleaning, cooking, laundry, childcare, etc so they were probably knackered.
This is a sociological rather than government rationale

[Tilly2]

..because women are delicate little creatures and they deserve a well earned rest.

[Tilly2]

You weren't there when I wrote my post, Helen. :-)

[bobbinwales]

Perhaps the men running the country then didn't want women cluttering up the workplace...create a gap for young men

[Tilly2]

Rowan, I mean.

[THECORBYLOON]

https://www.historyandpolicy.org/policy-papers/papers/the-scandal-of-womens-pensions-in-britain-how-did-it-come-about

[barry1010]

Because women never really retire. I know plenty of men that revert to childhood when they retire - only doing what they want to, when they want to, leaving everything else for others to do.
Women still take the brunt of the housework, shopping and cooking, look after poorly relatives and grandchildren and now more than ever, their grown up children.

[bobbinwales]

But what changed Barry to make them decide to equallize it

[Hopkirk]

What changed, Bob?

Women (quite rightly) demanded equality.

[Prudie]

I'm not sure this has a simple answer. When I first joined my current job, which was civil service, both men and women above a certain grade had to retire at 60 and that was only changed to 65 for both sexes in the early 2000s, then banning of enforced retirement a few years later.
It's bit like asking why men would stand up if a woman entered the room and now they don't.....

[DTCwordfan]

Don't see the linkage to fundamental manners there.....

I suppose the reason is that in the past women were more likely to be home-makers and gradually that has changed - and more levelling out, the same true as well to life expectancy as men are 'quickly' catching the women up - less wars, mining, quarrying, improved Hse etc. The most dangerous professions now are farming and fishing.....

[Prudie]

I see the linkage as women were considered all round delicate creatures that need protecting and supporting, the manners and not making them work go hand in hand.
Whatever the reason I can't see being a homemaker at 60 is the reason, women were expected to do that in their youth while raising a family not after 60.

[barry1010]

So who takes care of the home, the cooking, the husband when women reach 60?

[Prudie]

Lordy..I doubt the government thought back in the day we have to let women stop work earlier than men so they can mop up after their husbands. Surely the term homemaker refers to raising children? As I said I don't know the definitive answer to the OP but it was a government decision so goodness knows the reasoning behind it.

[Hopkirk]

It was 1940, so perhaps there was some wartime reasoning behind it.