A
pensioner is a person who collects a
pension, most commonly because of a
retirement from the workforce. This is a term typically used in the
United Kingdom (along with
OAP),
Ireland and
Australia where someone of pensionable age may also be referred to as an 'old age pensioner', or OAP. In the
United States, the term
retiree is more common, and in
New Zealand, the term
superannuitant is commonly used. In many countries, increasing
life expectancy has led to an expansion of the numbers of pensioners, and they are a growing political force.