Pension age increase declared controversial

Wednesday 03 March 2010

The outgoing government's plans to increase the state pension age from 65 to 67 have been declared controversial by MPs, meaning they will be frozen until at least after the next election.

Since the cabinet's collapse two weeks ago, all controversial legislation has been put on hold. But MPs have now said definitively that the pension plans will be abandoned.

Although Christian Democrat and Labour MPs both said they were prepared to move on with the legislation, the VVD Liberals are opposed. They support the increase in the state pension age from 65 to 67 but say the outgoing government's plans are too little too late.

Campaigning

And the Socialist Party and Geert Wilders' PVV are opposed to any increase in the retirement age at all. 'We have always said it should be put to voters,' SP MP Paul Ulenbelt was quoted as saying by the Volkskrant.

The increase in the state pension age is likely to become a central part of campaigning ahead of the June 9 general election.

Meanwhile, Labour leader Wouter Bos told the Pauw & Witteman television show on Tuesday night the outgoing government's suggestion that people who do 'heavy jobs' still be allowed to retire at 65 should be junked. The plan had been highly criticised, not least because of the difficulty in defining 'heavy work'.

Something better should be put in its place, Bos said.

© DutchNews.nl

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