SOMETHING overtly sinister happened just before Christmas which, though unlikely to radically alter life for me, will make it less agreeable for many others in the autumn of their lives.

The Government has accepted that the state pensions system is pretty much shot. That's not a spelling error, though you could be forgiven for so thinking.

Sweeping changes have been announced, signalling the end of retirement age at 65 with financial 'incentives' to work until 70 and beyond.

That just about snuffs out pleasant thoughts of pipes and slippers, seaside day trips with 'Blue Rinse' coaches and pleasant afternoons spent with kindred spirits in the local bookies.

The very fact that I am writing this indicates that I am still in harness at the Grand Old Age of 68. What's more, I am still contributing a sizeable chunk of my earnings to HM Collector of Taxes, who insists on including the state pension among my taxable earnings, which seems something of a liberty as it is my money he has been hanging on to for 50 or so years.

The are two reasons why I am still working. First, a pension scheme to which I contributed for many years went belly up. There was a time when such funds were safe as the Bank of England. No longer. And the Government has infuriated trades unionists by failing to legislate against companies who wind up final salary pension schemes.

The second is I can't afford to live on the state pension. There are countless others like me. Taxing us is hardly an incentive to labour on past 65 but that's a personal gripe and I'm entitled to it.

There are many people much younger than the current retirement threshold who would dearly love to work but are discriminated against in the jobs sector because of age. This will be made illegal under the new pensions legislation. I'd like to believe it will be effective but can't.

It is very difficult, almost impossible, to prove discrimination against 'oldies', many of whom are eminently employable with regards to experience and ability. However, if companies elect to recruit youngsters on the grounds of lower salary expectations, how many senior citizens will take them to a tribunal? The queue of similar cases will be so long that the aggrieved will probably be dead before their case is heard.

The thinking behind this new deal is to encourage people to put away more money for their old age. That's all well and good if your income is enough to allow significant savings, as well as pay mortgages, council taxes, domestic bills, run a car, bring up children and cover other incidentals -- like eating. In many case, it isn't.

And where have all the billions gone that successive governments have been deducting from wage earners down the years to arrive at a point when the best that many of us (well you, really) can look forward to is grafting into our (your) seventies? Happy New Year anyway!