A THINK-TANK'S call to increase the state pension age to 75 has been met with shock in one of Glasgow's most deprived areas where men are not likely to live beyond 70.

The Ageing Confidently report - Supporting an Ageing workforce, sets a newly evaluated stage pension age at 75 by 2046, which would affect millions of working people across the UK currently between the age of 42-58.

The announcement would being felt particularly in Glasgow, where the average life expectancy for males is 71, and 78 for women.

The Evening Times took to the street of Easterhouse, where the think-tank's founder and former Tory prime minister Iain Duncan Smith once visited, to find out what people thought.

Brian Brown, 44, from Easterhouse said: “I’d be gutted if that idea became true and I was told I’d have to work all those years.

“I did some time in the army and I had to come out at 27 so I’ve been out of work for 17 years. I would love to get back to work, but hearing news like that gives me little incentive to do that.”

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The report argued working longer brought health benefits.

Brian added: “This think-tank might think that they’ve come up with this great idea, but none of it is positive. By putting the age up even more, it’s as if they don’t want anyone to get their pension at all. I’d like to see Iain Duncan Smith working until he’s 75 and living on a state pension.”

William Valance, 58, originally from Castlemilk and now living in Easterhouse with his partner, said: “It’s a shocking proposal. The government should lower the age to 60 for men and women… it should be equal rights for both sexes. At this rate, people will be dropping dead the day after they retire if they make it that long, and not just in Easterhouse.”

Anne Souter, 72, originally from the Gorbals, now living in Easterhouse, said: “I’ve got five kids and three are professionals. When my kids were growing up they said ‘we need to leave Easterhouse, mum.’

“They’ve all left the area over the years and have done well for themselves, so this proposal about raising the age to 75 probably won’t affect them as much as if they’d stayed in Easterhouse.

“But people here, they might not want to work until that age, but they’ll be forced to. That maybe shows you the difference still between this area and more affluent ones when it comes to who’ll be affected.”

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The current UK state pension age is to due rise to 67 by 2028, and by 2046 to 68.

The recommendations published by the Centre for Social Justice states that the age at which UK residents are drawing their state pension is not rising high or fast enough and is failing to respond to the needs and potential of an ageing workforce.