Public spending watchdog 'fuels intergenerational row' The Office for Budget Responsibility warned earlier today that more savings were needed to bring public spending under control, focusing on the costly impacts of pensions and health care as society ages. This drew swift responses from other commentators including Baroness Sally Greengross, former Director General of Age Concern and currently chief executive of think tank the International Longevity Centre. She said: "Older people already contribute billions through volunteering and care. Creating the right incentives and support could deliver even greater contributions. The costs set out today are not inevitable. Increasing the average retirement age by just one extra year, could bring in around £13bn or 1pc of GDP. She said: "The cost of our ageing society is not about the free TV licence or the bus pass, yet recent political debates have focused on these issues to the exclusion of the long term challenges." She accused the Government of "not having an adequate strategy to respond to the challenges posed." But, seeking to represent the interests of younger and future taxpayers, another think tank, the Intergenerational Foundation, responded differently. "The unsustainable upward trajectory of public spending due to our ageing population, as highlighted in this year's report, could put an unaffordable taxation burden on the already overstretched finances of younger and future generations," warned Ashley Seager, the organisation's co-founder. As public sector net debt rises exponentially to 99pc of GDP over the next 50 years the combination of increased spending on health, pensions and social care could result in higher taxes being extracted from younger and future generations.