Let the old and knackered who are within five years of their state retirement age retire early.

Their jobs should be ‘swopped’ with an unemployed person under the age of 25. Such a scheme is likely to be cost neutral as the extra cost of paying early state pension is offset by the reduction in dole payments and savings in mental and physical health provision. This would be a proper job swap scheme. It would not apply to those at the top of the scale and at the end of their career who want to swap with an incoming trainee on lower pay and conditions. In consequence, it would apply more to manual employees such as cleaners, drivers, supermarket workers and all others that can swap their job on a ‘like-for-like’ basis. It’s about time manual workers got a break. Moreover, it is these jobs which would make a dent in youth unemployment. If the government agreed a job swap scheme for state pension payments, unions could demand the same from company pension schemes.
Mick Rice, secretary, UNITE Retired Members branch, Glasgow