General Chat

Making people work till they are sixty six is disgusting what life have you got left What do you think should be age to stop working & get a pension I would say Sixty Two Men & Women .suppose with the virus its hard to predict but if we were living under normal times ? Barbara

One of the reasons they put the pension age up, was because people were living longer. Well, there's living longer, and there's living longer, and being healthy!
However, this didn't come into the equation.
Between 2014 and 2019, life expectancy actually fell in the UK, this was ignored.
Since Covid, life expectancy has fallen even more :-( :-(

As one of those affected by the age rise, who was getting along fine doing 'temp' work for years, with the vast increase in unemployment we're now experiencing, I can't see me being offered a job soon, and would happily 'survive' on Pension Credit - except the Government got rid of it in about 2015.
So, I, and my 'ilk' will just inflate the unemployment figures! :-D

I think 60 would be a good age for everyone to retire, but only if they are allowed to take on a young person and train them up for a couple of years before they leave so that the young person can take on their job. Obviously some jobs would need more training but young people could be mentored by people getting ready for retirement.

Everyone should also think about saving for their old age right from their very first job as no one wants to have to try and have a good retirement on only a state pension.

Kath. x

Problem is, when/if you become unemployed, if you have savings, you will get minimal help - until all your savings have gone!

"At least 300,000 applications for universal credit during the first four months of pandemic were deemed ineligible because those trying to claim had over £16,000 in savings or their partners were deemed to earn too much under strict means-tested welfare rules, according to official figures"

The 120% increase in unemployment since covid has come as an awful shock to those who thought people 'lived it up' on Universal Credit, and only needed foodbanks because (and I quote an MP) 'They can't manage their money'.

I agree Kath good idea Maggie I had to take early retirement due to bad fall at work.I was 59 should have retired at 60 so was on sick pay pluss wages for 6months then pension .to me it's unfair people Men & women have to work so late in their lives .good luck Maggie x Barbara :-)

I used to work for the Civil Service when the retirement age was 65 for men and 60 for women. Then they announced that everyone would retire at 60. There was an outcry - from the men! Most of them did not want to retire at 60.

Eventually it was accepted and all was well, until it was changed again. Even with several years warning, people do not like change.

The other thing that happened was that lots of perfectly healthy men and women in their 60's were getting part-time jobs to occupy their time. So fewer jobs for youngsters. (I might add that employers prefer older people, because they are considered to be more reliable.)

My daughter is 62 and a cancer survivor.

She has been left with peripheral nerve damage in her hands and feet and often gets infections because her immune system has been compromised from the cancer and from the chemo

She does work but struggles from time to time

She is working from home now and has been since lockdown

She was hoping to have retired at 60 but then it was raised and now raised again so at this point she has to work for another 5 years

She does wonder is she can manage another 5 years :-(

Shirley, if she has a work pension, she may be able to access it now because of her cancer situation.

It may be a good idea for her to check the current situation with her union.

She works for P and O and they are in conflict with the unions on their treatment of employees because of lockdown

All staff are on thorns every week if they will still have a job !

I am so grateful that I was able to retire at 60 and my OH was able to take early retirement at 56. When you have worked so many years you should be able to retire and enjoy what is left of your life. Awful making people work until they are too old to go places and enjoy it. I really feel sorry for those having to work the extra years.

I was in the transition group so retired just before 63. I agree with Kathleen that maybe people in the 'pre-retirement' age group could train up young or unemployed people before they get to retire. But also people over a certain age who are not working should be given the option of not jobseeking, which can be difficult these days. Especially for women, who as always are stuck in between caring for elderly family members, or looking after grandchildren.

The concept of Universal Wage does sound tempting, where everyone gets a fixed amount to live on. If you work, you pay it back (and more) in tax. If you don't work, it's your choice.

There is NO retirement age in most jobs here in Canada.

People are EXPECTED to work until at least 65, although they can retire earlier and many want to continue until much later. OH had to retire at 65, which was just before the law was changed, but carried on in largely unpaid positions until last year when he was 81. One of his colleagues same age is still working at the university doing research and teaching graduate students. On the other hand, other colleagues have retired earlier, sometimes in their late 50s.

I, for example, chose to retire at 60, and took my CPP then at a reduced amount compared to what I would have got at 65, but had to wait until 65 for OAS to kick in.

You can retire earlier if you wish, but there is no government help until 60 for CPP and 65 for OAS ............. you have to have insurance, retirement funds and savings to do that. If you wish, you can defer taking both CPP and OAS until age 70 when you get an increase of up to 30% in the amount paid.

Many people are actually retiring from one job, but then contracting out or taking part- or full-time jobs either as an extension of what they did before or elsewhere ............ Walmart for example loves employing people over 65 as Greeters, and they can wok until they died if they want.

As andysmum posted, many employers are finding older people to be more reliable, and are employing them as receptionists, office staff, shop assistants etc etc. Thousands of people are now working well past the age of 65 because they WANT to.

However, we do not have as good social help from the government. We get Old Age Security (OAS) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP), both of which we and employers have to pay into, but it amounts to just below the poverty line. Some occupations, especially those with unions, have private company retirement plans that workers pay into, in addition to the government plans.

As one might expect, federal employees (ie, civil servants) have one of the cushiest private pension plans of all, and many take retirement at 50 or 55.

Basically, we are expected to try to have our own savings to help out after retirement. There are some programs to help those unable to do that.

Life expectancy now is rising .......... when you ask for advice on how much you should try to save for the retirement years, it is to have enough if you live until 90 or 95.


IMHO, it's not always best to depend on government support from cradle to grave! Then you can do what you want.


But this is not an uncommon topic from many people I know in England, and I'm afraid it just comes over as griping.

You can retire here, if you have a private pension - but not everyone has one!
I brought up 2 children alone, and earned enough to live on, not enough to pay into a pension as well.
There's also the small point, that, if you don't own your own house, any private pension will go towards rent.
My eldest brother is 70 and is still working - but he owns his own business.
The other brother owns his own house, and took his (private) pension at 60, then did voluntary work, driving a bus, taking elderly people to the shops. Three years ago, they decided to pay him - so he lost pension money. Now 69, he's had to give it up, because of his health. He didn't need to work after retirement.
My sister (67) retired at 60, got state pension then, owns her house and has a private pension, but now does voluntary work, and works part time (paid) to deal with the admin involved with the voluntary work. She didn't need to work after retirement.
However, she loses quite a bit of her pension because of her work.

Council pensions - once considered good in this country are now being cut.
Up until recently, the pension was based on your last year's pay - now it's the average. Sister worked for the Council - her private pension has been reduced because of this change.
So you work, pay as much as you can into your pension, expecting to get 'X' amount, and it's changed - even if you've retired!
How are you meant to budget, when the goalposts keep changing?

Not sure about Canada, but in the UK, unemployment is rising expodentially, and if you want any Government help - you won't get any if you have savings over £16,000, no matter how long you've paid into the system!

Life expectancy in the UK is now falling.

I'm sorry if it comes over as griping, but when a population is sh*t upon from 'those on high', they're not happy bunnies! :-D

I worked full-time for two years after government pension age and I still got the pension I was entitled to throughout that time.

The only deduction was tax - not even NI because I was over state retirement age.

Maggie, if your sis is 67 now, the same age as I am, she wouldn't get her state pension until age 63, or even later if her birthday is after 5th April.

You don't lose pension if you work, you are just liable for tax, if your total income is more than £12,500.

Snap, GrannyFranny - my last sentence.

I have to work until 67, and it's possible the age might be raised again.

I think you may be right, Elizabeth, as the Chancellor has to claw back all of the money he's spent this year. I can see a rise in direct tax as well as VAT too - but not this year.

I took early retirement at age 54.

Some of my colleagues reckoned that was the best day's work I ever did.

I crossed-off their names from my Christmas Card list. That'll teach them to be mindful of their utterances. :-D

Joy
Quite agree with you