pensioners

Fiscal drag — the 'invisible tax' known in Italy as bracket creep — is back at the centre of public debate, with reports estimating it could cost salaried workers and pensioners up to 13 billion euros. The tax does not appear on pay slips: inflation pushes incomes into higher tax brackets, eroding purchasing power without any visible increase in tax rates, prompting calls for indexation and government intervention.

Police in the UK detained a group of peaceful sign-holding protesters, many of them pensioners, in a kettle for 13 hours into midnight before arresting them under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000. The arrests were reportedly triggered by signs reading 'I oppose genocide - I support...' and the treatment of the mostly elderly demonstrators has drawn criticism.

A claim circulating online argues that neoliberals want to scrap the triple-lock on the UK state pension, accusing them of keeping wages low and leaving millions in poverty. The post cites government pension spending as a share of GDP across G7 countries, showing the UK and Canada lowest at 4.7%, compared with Italy at 12.8% and France at 12%. Supporters of the triple-lock say it protects pensioners; critics say it is fiscally unsustainable.

Protests in Madrid have entered a third day following the eviction of an elderly tenant, with demonstrators gathering against housing evictions in the Spanish capital. The case has become a focus of anger over housing costs and tenant protections, prompting continued street demonstrations and widespread attention across Spain.

Retiree protests are spreading across Iran, with demonstrators rallying against deteriorating living conditions and unpaid benefits. The unrest coincides with reports of deepening infighting within the Iranian regime and new figures showing liquidity growth exceeding 54%, a sign of severe monetary expansion and inflationary pressure. Opposition sources link the wave of pensioner demonstrations directly to the country's worsening economic crisis and internal power struggles.

New reporting warns that around 40% of Generation Z workers are on course for poverty in retirement, raising concerns about the adequacy of current pension saving. The warning highlights a growing gap between what young workers are putting aside and what they will need in later life, prompting calls for earlier saving and stronger employer and policy action.

Critics are accusing the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board of risking the retirement savings of 22 million Canadians by backing gas power plants meant to serve AI data centres. The argument is that the pension fund should act in contributors' best interest, not gamble on fossil fuel infrastructure whose value could erode as clean energy advances and AI demand shifts.

Commentators are warning that the rush to build gas power plants to feed energy-hungry AI data centres could expose retirement and pension savings to serious risk. The argument is that utilities and investors are pouring money into new gas infrastructure on the assumption of endless AI-driven demand growth, a bet that could leave stranded assets and losses if demand or regulation shifts.