Briefing Notes

Briefing Note 52 - How could changes to life expectancy affect spending on pensions?

As part of the Modelling Ageing Population to 2030 (MAP 2030) project, the PPI is exploring the impact that uncertainty in future longevity may have on expenditure on pensions.

This Briefing Note builds on analysis presented at a seminar hosted by the International Longevity Centre on 16th June 20091. The analysis considers the potential impact ageing may have on expenditure in state pensions, income from private pensions, spending on means-tested benefits, and considers how increases in State Pension Age could be used to offset increases in pension expenditure.

To help improve our understanding of the complex relationship between pensions and long-term care, the New Dynamics of Ageing programme is funding the Modelling Ageing Populations to 2030 Research Group, an inter-disciplinary team, bringing together the PPI with experts from the London School of Economics, the University of East Anglia, the University of Leicester and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The project aims to produce long-term projections of expenditure on pensions and long-term care up to 2030 and beyond, on a consistent basis, which should help inform public debate and the development of future policy. 

The MAP2030 Research Group, is funded under the New Dynamics of Ageing Programme, a cross-council research programme involving the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).