Want to retire but can't afford to

[Classof76]

Sorry for long post....
I find myself in a situation which is making me feel miserable probably depressed too.
I work for a local authority in a clerical role, I have lost all interest and passion for the role or come to that working full stop, I feel I have had enough.
I am 61 and have worked continually for 45 years except for 6 months mat leave. I am currently full time working a 14 day fortnight on 22K. I worked for private companies who did not always have pension schemes. My current pension is poor as even though I have worked there 20 years the majority of this was part time, due to childcare.
Right now, I cannot afford to work part time as I need the money and this would also affect my pension which is not enough to live on, best case scenario is 6K plus 4K lump sum if I go at Christmas. I also have a private pension pot of 40K.
I did not anticipate my pension being my only income as I had inherited my parent’s house and that was to be my income, however after getting divorced I now live there and I was shafted by my ex-husband for want of a better word, I didn’t even (stupidly) opt for a pension sharing scheme, he also took half my inherited property capital.
I have remarried, my DH works FT and is the same age, he only has the state pension at 67 and a private pension of 30K.
I feel so trapped as I also have an auto immune condition so I cannot do anything physical as I tire out and so working in this role is good for that but not for my MH. I really hate it as all my friends have been able to retire and I don’t have anything in common with the younger graduates I work with.
I applied for redundancy a year ago, and they refused, (said it was down to money but it wasn’t that, just they wanted my skills) I was hoping this would come around again but nothing is planned for the future.
I am considering part time topping up with my private pot to see me through anyone have any other ideas?

A 14 day fortnight?

I feel for you by the way. But your post is a bit confusing and am just trying to understand

Could you sell house, downsize buy two flats say, rent one,live in one?

Sorry meant to say 9 day ( see I really do need to retire!) When you compress hours and work 9 and have 1 day off.

I don't think it's worth enough to be about to downsize to two properties, it's not a big house like the one I had previously.
Thanks for the suggestion though.

My DM was affected by the pushing up of the pension age for women so doesn't actually qualify for her state pension until later this year now but retired a year ago.
I am one of three children and my parents sat us down and explained DM was tired, had niggling health issues and they were thinking of releasing some equity from their home to enable her to retire. Because of the are of work my DM as employed in there was no worry of a dubious company getting their hands on their property as she was extremely clued up.
All of us DC told them to go for it, we'd rather they spend their hard earned money than leave it to us so they released a percentage of equity and DM retired. Is that maybe something you could look into?

It would have to be a last resort, I'd dearly love my DD to have my house over day, it'd help her.

Equity release?
Sell up and move to over 55 accommodation? (My mum did this)
Would you need a car if you gave up work? Could you sell it? (Obviously this only works if you live somewhere with decent public transport)
Go pt in another role?
Have you and your partner sat down and worked out your SofA?
You could always apply for ill health retirement l?

Oh, please don't do equity release! So up if you need to and buy a smaller place but do not do equity release.

At 61 and with your work history, there must be a way for you to make this work. You might have to make some adjustments, but you sound really overwhelmed with the stress of the current situation.

Hopefully you can sit down with your DH, get everything out on the table, and weight up the options.

Maybe think about downsizing and doing a massive clear out of all the stuff you would't take with you. I learned how to do eBay and sold a ton of stuff, raising quite a bit of money. The downsize was a wrench, but it was the only way.

Can you divide your house into two flats? Live in one, rent the other?
Depending in garden size and location can you put an Airbnb cabin in the garden ? ( I stayed in one , it was beautiful!)
Build a small cattery onto your house and do cat and small animal boarding? You need a local licence but it’s not difficult to obtain. Cats don’t need walking!
Rent your house out and you and DH downsize to a static mobile home type accommodation?
Rent your house out, buy a caravan or motorhome and live p/t in Europe?

Equity release a very last resort.
I wouldn't qualify for I'll health I have an impeccable record and don't take any time off for being tired, I just manage it.
My car isn't worth that much not worth selling and our public transport is dire.
Sorry to be thick what is SofA?

I'm dead set against this .. And I'd have to be desperate...

I may be wrong, but a 40K pension at 61 isn't too bad is it? I'm sorry though, it sounds really hard. I am not able to retire for another 7 years and will have a very small pot so I have to continue. DH is retired and it would be bliss for both of us!

I eBay regularly and also Vinted, running out of things to sell! my house is only small so I don't know where I'd move to.

How I wished my house was big enough to do that, my garden wouldn't be big enough for a cattery sadly.
I rented this property before I moved back, never again!

Sounds like 40K total not per year, though.

I'm going to get shot down for this, but maybe if you don't have any time off for ill health you need to start? You say you have an autoimmune disease and you sound completely worn out. This may actually mean that your employer re-considers redundancy or ill health retirement, if it becomes obvious that you can't cope as you are.

40k is the whole pot (private pension) so I'd have say 8k per year if I had 5 years to go using it until state pension.Then I'd have the state plus my small work pension.
I'd have finished long ago if it was 40k a year!

Statement of affairs
If you pop one into the mse forum you'll get some really good advice

Yep
Don't be a martyr op
Your work ethic is amazing but you're obviously struggling now

I'm the same age as you OP and I sympathise with what I see as the pension gap beteen expectations of retiring in early 60s and the receipt of state pension at 67. Unless you can make some sort of income from your property, I can't see where you would get income between now and state pension age if you give up work. You are very young for equity release, if taken now you'll be paying the interst for many years and from what you say you won't be able to release enoguh capital to replace you salary. However you cn't retire and hang on to your full current property value to hand on.
Maybe work out exactly how much income you need as additoonal to yor £6k oer year pension over the next few years. Bearing in mind your husband is in full-time work, then either downsize to generate cash
or look for a diffeenrt jonb that won't make you so miserable. A change might make the next few working years more enjoyable.

It helps I work from home and funny have to travel in for 7am for a parking space and I can take breaks and work different hours if needed.
I've always been one of those people that never take time off sick, last time was appendix 4 years ago.
I'm just tired, fed up I don't suppose I can justify time out for being tired can I?
I had high BP last year and was offered a sick note but I'm ok now.
Daft aren't I?!
I've realised you get no better thought of .... In fact it backfires being conscientious!

Thanks for this!

Sorry for typos - 'a different job'