DEAR SIR: Are you a farmer, self-employed or working in the private sector? Are you in your mid to late 50s? If you can answer yes to these questions, then I have bad news for you – you will not receive your State pension until you are 68 years old. The government has been increasing the pension age from 65 years up to 68 years of age, without most people affected by the decision being made aware of this situation.

However, this doesn’t apply to the public sector - State employees will still retire at 65 and get their pension (indeed, they may be offered early retirement and receive a pension much earlier) but old farmers, tradespeople and those in the private sector will not obtain the pension until the age of 68. This means that we will be forced to keep working when we are not fit and/or use up our meagre savings.

All will suffer stress and worry at a vulnerable time in our lives, as well as suffering financial hardship. We paid out social insurance payments (as State employees paid into their pensions) and we are entitled to obtain the benefits of our labours and have the security at the age of 65 of a small State pension.

I ask people affected by this issue and all fair-minded people to make this an issue on the doorsteps during this election. I also wonder whether Leo Varadkar, and indeed all other politicians, will wait for their Dáil pension until the age of 68?

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The State pension: what you need to know