Surely anyone who joined the game would have known there's going to be a gap between retiring and being eligible for a state pension, if - that is - the country they live in hands out a meaningful state pension at all.
Thus, one could possibly argue that anyone who failed to make plans for the gap years only has himself to blame.
As a non-airliner I have planned to work to 65 and get my pension at 65.
Along comes politics and all of a sudden 67 is the new pension age (Germany)
So, no, I didnīt think there would be a gap, retirement age has been 65 for a long time in Germany, actually there was a time not very long ago, when early retirement was encouraged by politicians and a lot of folks retired at 57, 58, 59 ish...
Like in so many fields, the politicians screw our life up by changing the rules and now I should blame myself? Donīt think so...