Brazil Supreme Court removes age floor for special retirement benefits

The Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) ruled in June 2024 that workers exposed to hazardous conditions no longer need to meet a minimum age to qualify for special retirement. Eligibility now depends solely on proof of sufficient time working under harmful physical, chemical or biological agents, with documentation such as the Perfil Profissiográfico Previdenciário (PPP) required for INSS approval. The court kept other aspects of the 2019 pension reform, including the new benefit‑calculation formula.

Separately, Denmark is gradually raising the statutory retirement age to 70, with full implementation expected by 2040. The change follows an automatic adjustment mechanism tied to life‑expectancy forecasts, aiming to keep the pension system financially sustainable as the population ages and birth rates fall. The policy will affect people born from 1971 onward, prompting debate about physical‑job strains and the broader challenge of pension adequacy in developed economies.