STEVEN Forbes (“How long we live is like the real health scare as state pension costs spiral”, The Herald, October 31) writes that in 2050 there will be only 2.1 people between the age of 20 and 65 to support themselves and each pensioner aged over 65. This is a worrying thought for many people who will be over 65 by that time, but no solution is offered.
There may be ways to deal with the predicted situation. There are at present thousands of refugees hammering at our gates to get in and being vigorously rejected by our short sighted government in Westminster. These refugees have the potential to re-invigorate our work force and re-balance the age distribution in Britain. When refugees are allowed to settle in a country they work determinedly to raise themselves back to the standards with which they were familiar before they fled to save their lives. This was clearly demonstrated in Germany after the Second World War when the millions of refugees played a significant role in producing West Germany’s economic miracle. Perhaps this memory is why Germany today is taking the long-term view and welcoming great numbers of refugees in the belief that they will contribute to the country’s future work force.
Thirty-five years into the future is a long time and one of the many changes in our way of life will almost certainly be the ever-increasing use of robots to perform tasks which involve decision making and judgement. Who can tell what the labour force needs will be in 2050 to support our society including pensioners?
There may be a problem, but let’s deal with it positively.
Hugh Boyd,
65 Antonine Road, Bearsden.
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