How come the Yanks get to be a Senior Citizen at 50, but you have to be 60 (women) or 65 (men) to be a UK OAP?

Question

I live in the UK. I'm 50 in a couple of weeks and I want my free bus pass and free meals on wheels now, while I am still young enough to enjoy them. (For our friends across the pond, OAP stands for Old Aged Pensioner)

Answer 1

Your "seniors" get free bus passes and free meals on wheels? Wow, here, we seniors have to pay for them, and most of the senior services aren't available until after age 65.

I believe the only place that recognizes age 50 as being "senior" is AARP, and they just do it to make more money off the 50 to 65 age group, and to inflate their membership for political purposes.

edit: I recently read that AARP is going to drop the "American" from their name and open the "Association of Retired People" to the world. They should reap a fortune off of that.

Answer 2

Because the two things are not the same and have different meanings.In UK you are talking about retirement ages and when state old age pensions become payable.As a pensioner you can claim things like free bus passes,not pay prescription charges and so on.A senior citizen is just that. A person with greater experience of life ,but does not have any entitlement to benefits . More of a courtesy title.

Answer 3

50 is getting to be a fairly young age now, many people at age 50 likely have almost 1/2 of their lives still ahead of them as life expectancy has spiraled out of control! Most people who are in their 50s are still in relatively good shape and can work, and prefer to work. Unless they are otherwise disabled with various physical or mental problems, then why should the state start supporting them? And If they've been in careers or jobs that they've been with and moved ahead in, then they should be making more money than younger people in their 20s and 30s anyway!

I have news for you Britty, most places here in America don't consider you a "senior citizen" until you are 60 to 65 or so, and even then, many are still going strong. Although my neighbor, age 53, can get away with ordering the senior special at the local Denny's restaurant!

Answer 4

About the only thing you qualify in the US for at 50 is joining AARP. You pay an annual fee and get some very small discounts on motels etc and they send you insurance brochures about every week and try to sell you magazines and such.

They are more of a political action group that is funded by members. Nothing to do with Government pension etc.
Depending on the year you were born it will show when you can collect Medicare and social security. I am retired from a Police department but we have our own pension and at this point I don't qualify for Federal money but I don't need it yet.

It will be at least 8-10 more years before I can get social security and about that many years for medicare and I'm in my mid 50's now.

Answer 5

That's not true us Yanks can't retire until we are 60 at the very least, and that's if you work somewhere for so many years with a retirement/pension plan like my dad did and even a lot of them (my dad included) decide to get a post retirement job, either out of boredom, need for more money (pension is not enough), or for whatever reason (usually finanacial). And when it comes to senior citizen discounts you have to be 60-65 usually and to qualify for medicare and social security you have to be 65 years and 10 months old.

Answer 6

Kitten, don't let the number 50 get to you, it is only a number. I am 56 and could have had a company pension last year when I turned 55. What the hell would you do with yourself for 25 to 30 years unless you were one of the idle rich? Even people with enough money to retire at that age usually don't.
The 50's are when you impart your life & work experience to the next generation and for me a time to reap the rewards of a higher salary and more respect from junior members of those in my field.

Answer 7

I don't know. There was a time when people at 50 years of age didn't want to be associated with the word "senior citizen." I think the fact that people live longer, lowered the age. Also, if you have a government job, you can retire at 55 with 30 years of service. But I think they will probably change that to make people stay in longer.

Funny, I always considered someone 70 + to be a senior citizen, but things have changed.

Answer 8

OAP ?

Sounds like what we call Social Security.

In the U.S. , it starts at 65, for both male and female. For younger people, age 67 is being phased in.

A reduced payment is available, starting at age 62.

The payment can be increased by delaying the start, up to age 70.

I presume that any business or agency is free to give a " senior discount" stating at whatever age they chose.

Answer 9

Culturally, you're considered a senior at around 55, but legally, it isn't until 62 (when you're eligible for Social Security.) Also, bus passes aren't free to seniors here, nor are Meals on Wheels. I don't know where you got that information.

Also, "Yanks" is a bit offensive. I'm not white ("Yankee" comes from the Cherokee word "yonega," meaning a white person. Cherokee is my language.)

Answer 10

Let me up date you duckey. Seniors are classed at 55, now the retirment age is 65 for women 67 for men and there is a possibility it will be 67 for both men and women. What is this free meals on wheels, bus pass?