100-year-olds at record high as Britons live longer
THE number of people living past the age of 100 has shot up five-fold in 30 years, new figures show.
The Queen sent birthday cards to 12,320 centenarians in England and Wales last year – compared to just 2,420 in 1981, according to the Office for National Statistics.
It estimated 465,500 people were aged 90 or above in 2012 – an increase of 33 per cent on 10 years ago – and that while the gap is narrowing, women can now expect to live for 82.6 years on average compared with 78.7 years for men.
However, the figures show 10,540 women have passed their 100th birthday compared to 1,780 men.
Experts warn the Government is not ready to deal with an ageing population and faces “tough decisions” over issues such as pensions and benefits.
Professor Robert Wright, a population and economics expert at Strathclyde University, said: “The population is ageing and it is going to cost us more and more.
“Those who can work longer are going to have to work longer, and we will have to question whether benefits targeted at the aged can be universal. You might not pay the state pension to everyone.”
Dr Jonathan Cave, a population expert at Warwick University, said: “The care system for elderly people is a crushing problem.
“More people are going to have to sell their homes to pay for their care, pretty much everyone will have to do it.” A group of eight charities has formed the Ready for Ageing Alliance to demand Government action to prepare for an ageing society.
George McNamara, head of Policy and Public Affairs at the Alzheimer’s Society, which is part of the alliance, said: “By failing to prepare for the effects of an ageing population, we could be preparing to fail.
“We ignore the challenge of an ageing population at our peril.”