The decline in healthy life expectancy (HLE) is so momentous it should have ejected the former prince from the front page (Female healthy life expectancy falls three years, print edition, 20 February). The shocking fall of three years for women and two years for men, in just three years, reveals the cumulative impact of the Tory/Liberal Democrat austerity programme and the gross mismanagement of the pandemic.
In contrast to the lowest HLE since these figures were first estimated (2011-13), Swedish HLE has continued to rise and is an average of five years higher than the UK’s. It is blindingly obvious that unless the government urgently prioritises extending HLE, it cannot hope to stem the flow of older workers out of the labour market.
Alan Walker
Emeritus professor of social policy and social gerontology, University of Sheffield
Falling healthy life expectancy and a rising pension age – so work until 67 possibly 68, then spend your last years recovering. Is this really a “plan”?
Ian Garner
Oxenhope, West Yorkshire
