you can't complain about not having enough money as a pensioner if your able to work

[madhurjazz]

Just that really, certain person I know complains about not having enough but they have no health conditions and have enough to get by. No reason why they couldn't work.

Aibu to just say get a job and late 60s isnt really that old thee days?

You sound delightful and there is no way I would want to be working when I am late 60's or 70's.

no one wants to work at that age, but, as the OP is 40, she/he will be.

There seems to be no regard for the obvious demographic issues that we currently face that are going to get much worse as the years go by. My guess is everyone 50 and under can expect to work until at least 70.

We either slowly reform the system now, which is totally unlikely as it is politically toxic, or we wait until the system hits a catastrophic state and we are forced to implement radical and damaging reforms.

People can't win though can they, if she was working some people would say she was being selfish and taking away a job from someone young 'who needs it more'.

As said that's per person, so it makes life very difficult as a single person, especially one that is aging and starting to have health issues.

OP, I don't know if your aware that half of the 24 hour Asda's have stopped being 24 hour and Tesco have just announced the same.

I know straight off, three people that rely on the night time work, that will now be in poverty, some have a 'small' job during the day, or have a slow start (through illness) and need a later start.

From the end of the month, their jobs won't exsist. Those that can work days, will wipe out the opportunity of Christmas work.

Shops don't want to pay Min wage, so it won't be over 21's, or 25's, let alone over 40's, who get offered work.

Jobs for over 50s - almost impossible to get.

Pensions - my considerable private contributions over 30+ years will give me a bit less than State Pension if I'm lucky (this will be on top of State pension, but I'm not going to be rich) - and I am one of the more fortunate who has been able to afford some contributions.

People still pay income tax on Pension income until they die so the PP who referred to "after they stopped contributing" is being misleading.

Sick of the race to the bottom and ageism - we should be demanding more, not slagging each other.

I may emigrate when I retire, this Country is getting really nasty.

YBVVVVU. Most of them will have spent 40+ fucking years working. What more do you want from people their heart on a plate with a bit of to wash it down.
Plus there's hardly enough jobs to go around as it is.

They should get a job.
Yes. There are 100s of job trees in our local park

Awful lot of assumptions on this thread. I work in healthcare and work alongside lots of 60+ workers who have no intentions of retiring. Granted that is everyone but I think we're selling people short saying they can't physically do the work when thats not always the case.

My poor mum worked from when she was 15. Like 1,000s of others. Only taking a few weeks out when she had me and my sister.
I'm not talking about a nice little job in sweet shop in a quaint village. I'm talking as much as 10 hour days hard graft sometimes. She didn't even make retirement. Her body gave out in the end with exhaustion.
No one is going to tell me that my mother wouldn't have deserved to put her feet up.

I may emigrate when I retire, this Country is getting really nasty.

I don't know many wealthy countries with good demographics. It will likely be a high immigrantion country like Canada or Australia.

The problem with the system is a one-size fits all mentality- if you are under 65, you 'have' to work even if you have some type of illness/very hard to get disability allowances, less opportunity to do part time- and then you get to the other end, and the system is set up for you to do very little or nothing in the way of work.

Sadly, for those unable to do anything to top up their basic pensions, if they have no savings, life is really quite poor. Some things people do are- move house/downsize/equity release and use that asset (but a lot are reluctant to do this), I know someone who prefers to keep her large house but rent out self-contained rooms, she can't have the luxury of her house to herself as it's too expensive. I also know people who have worked into their seventies for extra money/because they like it, including people working in nursing, academic work, as a receptionist.

People expecting a comfortable retirement on the basic pension will not get it, so it is worth thinking about how you could supplement that, if desperate.

Maybe they should invest in buy to let? But you don't like that either, do you, OP.

You seem to have a pathological dislike for older people, maybe you should seek help.

YABVU op

This really pisses me off. What is the point in life if we work til we drop & have no relaxation and enjoyment? I think it's disgusting that people in their late 60's and over still have to work. They've paid their dues. I see it all the time in my local Sainsburys, 2 men in their mid 70's looking absolutely exhausted on the check out. It makes me want to cry, they look so unhappy.

Our older generation should be looked after.

Squidgy I think the issue with the new flat rate pension is that no-one was told that having an occupational pension and being contracted out would have this effect on the state pension. It certainly didn't until this year, and the changes were brought in too late and not well explained enough for people to make a decision on what they wanted to do about it.

I was contracted out via the LGPS and the TPS for about 12.5 years of my contributions, the rest are HRP and the MOD scheme for NICs for HM Forces trailing spouses in overseas postings. I don't know if it will be worth my while making up the NI shortfall of 7 years to make the full 35 or not, and when I am back in UK, I wouldn't want to rejoin either the TPS or LGPS as currently I am due to get my pensions and lump sums at 60. If I rejoin either, that then pushes out to 65. I'll need to get a calculation nearer the time, but I am unsure if an extra £42 per week will be worth the cost of 7 years NICs (although class 3s might be cheaper).

A family member has been trying to get a part-time job in her mid 60s, but with no success. She is a skilled administrator who was working until a couple of years ago, so you would think it would be easy enough - but it's not that easy. We have realised that she is competing against returning mums and anyone else who might want to work part-time. She has got fed up with it and is going down the route of starting a small business instead.

She/they might actually want to work but find it impossible to get a job. My mum would love to be working, she worked all her life until a few years ago when the company she worked for sold up, but since then she can't find work.

She's 70 and hates retirement, it's not just the money (which is an issue, she relies heavily on my dad for the first time in her life), she doesn't like the emptiness and lack of routine. Sadly though, because of her age, she's more or less unemployable.

I didn't realise until this thread that I will get a smaller state pension because I have paid into an occupational pension scheme.

OP you've missed a trick. What about all these feckless kids getting free prescriptions, eye tests and dental care. Child benefit and free education? How entitled can you get? Do you think we could take a leaf out of Indias or Chinas book and reintroduce child labour?
Oh and in case you didn't spot the sarcasm YABU.

My grandad worked until he was 65 and retired - 6 months later he died. If he had retired earlier he would have had more time with my nan which can never be replaced as he wasted it working. YABVU

Yanbu OP
Your opening post is the opposite of ageist. The posters shouting ageism are the ones assuming everyone somehow becomes both useless and beyond reproach the minute they hit 60. If you need money and are able to earn it, why not try to find a suitable job? Everything else is speculation.

In my workplace my team of 16 has 2 people over 65 and 6 over 50. All in intellectually demanding jobs, thank you very much. BTW this makeup reflects the local demographic.

Many of us posting here will have no option but to work until we drop anyway - whether we want to or not.

Many older people continue to work. Trying to get a job when you are older and not in work is nearly impossible. Maybe pronounce on this when you have actually tried to get a job in this position?

My dh, ex company director couldn't get a job at 57 despite applying for loads and even getting a couple of interviews.

Claiming jsa was soul destroying too.

Now at 63, he's got a heart condition and already had a small stroke. Thank god he doesn't have to work till he's 70.

I loathe the passive aggressive term 'a certain person'. So you lost any sympathy I had for you right there.

You are totally right though we should all drop dead in the harness. Look forwards to you showing everyone how its done!

brasty
Getting a job might be impossible. Trying isn't.

Scaryteacher contracting out always effected the state pension as before April it was made up of 2 parts - the second part would not be payable for the years someone is contracted out. Now it's made up of 1 part there needs to be a deduction to take into account the lower NI paid when contracted out. Otherwise it would not be fair to someone who has paid the full rate.

Brasty only if you were contracted out. And depending how old you are it might be possible to make up the bit you lose out on so actually it may not be reduced afterall