To wonder if you know anyone who has never really worked?

[doitanyways]

If so, how did their life pan out?

In particular, what did they do after retirement age?

[doitanyways]

Interesting that so many are women, the person I am thinking of is male.

I am worried, very worried, about their future.

[Babyroobs]

If someone has no pension and no home of their own, they would still get a basic pension and housing benefit to pay their rent. There must be many pensioners who have never worked ( women in particular) yet you don't see them homeless. They would get enough for a basic stnadard of living.

[TheRadiantAerynSun]

My MIL has never had a job; she was an army wife and SAHM to 7 children. She retired to the country with FIL when he retired.

My BIL is in his late 30s and has never managed to hold down a job for more than a couple of weeks. He was diagnosed with aspergers in his late 20s and unless he gets more help than he currently is I expect he will never work.

My cousin is 30 and has never had a job. She's just lazy (and is happy to admit it.) She's mostly funded by her boyfriend and the bank of Mum and Dad.

I know quite a few people who have worked in the past and get jobs fairly regularly, but can never keep them for long. The basic requirements of getting up every day and putting in the graft is beyond them. After years of dossing they are unemployable. They're usually men and usually find a woman to sub them. They keep them sweet with promises that this time it will be different in between bouts of sitting on their arse smoking weed and grousing about how the world never gives them a break.

[Sansoora]

Ive never worked and Im 57 years old but I did own my own business last year for about 18 months after separating from my husband. It did really well and when I got to the stage where I had to expand I asked myself do you have the energy or inclination to do this? The answer was no. It took too much away from my family including my severely disabled son so there was no competition - I was closed a month later. I have really fond memories of it and it helped shape me into who I am today - a middle aged wifie making a really good go of being on her own after a lifetime of being married.

I have no money worries because the years I spent supporting my husband in his career and ultimately playing a big part in our business paid off and I get my fair share of everything we have. Its one area where I cant fault my husband. We aren't divorced officially and we have no plans to either but we are well and truly divorced in every other sense of the word.

Ive never regretted not working outside of the home in the traditional sense, and Ive no plans to start regretting it now.

[doitanyways]

Would they be entitled to a state pension though, if they haven't made any national insurance contributions?

[elf0508]

I know a lady in her 40s hasn't worked since early teens. She claims she can't as she looks after disabled daughter (who isn't even disabled and lives in a mental health hospital in england) her brother is the same, it's quite sad

[harshbuttrue1980]

Yes, an old school friend. Now in her mid thirties, she has 5 children (one of them an adult now and not working). She had her first child at 15. She has a council house with 4 bedrooms and a garden, has a car, goes on holiday every year and has the latest on phones, furniture etc (she uses Brighthouse and pays them up). When she retires, she'll still be able to live in the house and will get a pension. I work and live in the SE so will probably never get anything more than a flat...it makes you question who the mug is.

[BarbarianMum]

My brother. 40 years old, heroin addict. His life is deeply shit, as are those of my parents who enable house and support him.

[bishboschone]

Why are you worried about their future ? Are hey lazy or have a source of income ?

[Babyroobs]

Elf - How can someone live in a menatl health hospital and not be disabled ?

[SheGotAllDaMoves]

I know quite a few women who went to university, then travelled, maybe did a few internships, a bit of 'creative' stuff then married a rich bloke, had kids and never intended to get a job thereafter.

[trappedinsuburbia]

Yes my ex's brother and a couple of others in his family, fully capable of work and choose to drink instead. One gets a giro one week to pay for the drink and the other gets their giro the following week and pays for the drink.
A lot of that family has issues with alcohol although most of them manage to work.
They laugh at what lengths their friends have went to to get their disability benefits. I stay in a really deprived area though so they are not unusual at all.

[Sansoora]

Would they be entitled to a state pension though, if they haven't made any national insurance contributions?

Its not something thats relevant to me. I dont live in the Uk and where I do live there's no state pension or any kind of benefit. You have to sort it out for yourself, but families do also take care of each other.

[flatbellyfella]

My neighbour has just had some cash in hand jobs done by a man on benefits, who boasts that he has never had a job, or paid any tax, he has a so say, bad back, but he was lifting plaster boards ok.

[witsender]

I have a friend who hasn't, a few in fact. Wealthy families, done lots of travelling instead, married and 'maintain the home' if no kids yet.

[Varya]

I know of 3 people who never really worked.

[VintageDresses]

I know lots of women who worked until they married/had children (young) and have never worked since

Financially, those who stayed married are fine, those who divorced, especially later in life are in very straightened circumstances

A completely anecdotal, unqualified observation I've made is that not working for any length of time, is very bad for mental health/depression/anxiety, regardless of your financial position, unless you are very involved in volumteering to to extent it may as well be a ft job.

[Doublebubblebubble]

My brother. He is 26 and has only just got himself a part time job. He went from school, to college, and then university (graphic design) but hasn't ever really done anything with his degree. I find it all a bit sad I understand that being a student is at some very basic level "working" but it isn't really

[CigarsofthePharoahs]

The only one I know for sure was married young and has been a SAHP for the rest of her life. Both she and her dh are now pensioners. She seems quite happy with her life.
I know of one other who did work for a time, but due to physical and mental health issues had to quit. That was a long time ago and even if his health does somehow improve (which is unlikely as he refuses a lot of treatment) I don't think he is employable now. I do wonder sometimes what the future holds for him. He has no family support and relies rather a lot on friends, many of whom have issues of their own.

[wonkylegs]

My aunt - she's a lady of leisure, she married my uncle out of school and is a a society wife (not in this country). She doesn't do housework or look after the kids, they have staff for that so she sits on various committees, volunteers for some charities (generally arranging fundraising) and is a proper lady who lunches. I always think it sounds terribly boring but she's only known that life and is fine with it. Probably helps that it's a much nicer climate than here and she has 3 houses of staff to manage. They travel quite a bit too.

[Doublebubblebubble]

*he does 8 hours a week

[PeaceLoveAndMincePies]

I've never really worked. Didn't go to university. I've had lots of jobs since I was about 20, but never settled. I was very mentally unwell so always ended up getting signed off and then resigning. I got a bit better and was able to work, got a great job I wanted to make my career, then got pregnant! Now I'm a SAHM because the childcare cost more than I earned. I want another baby and then I hope I'll go back to work properly. I'm 30.

[kickassangel]

None of the women in my family work - they marry men who work, and provide pensions.

None of them can really understand that I work FT. I think they feel a bit sorry for DH because of it.

[PeaceLoveAndMincePies]

Oh I do volunteer though. I need to be "useful".