To feel sorry for women having to work till they're 66

[lazylab]

I have 2 friends, one 60 the other 61 who are just so tired and worn out. The 60 year old works full time in a factory, she's totally shatttered at the end of her shift. Basically they're just desperate for retirement, but no chance of that till they're 66. Both these women are single, still paying mortgages, one of them earning fairly good money but the other is basically working just to live, can't afford luxuries or holidays etc. It's just soul destroying. These are just two examples of the plight of those affected by the changes to pension age.

Working full time as a young woman is definitely not the same once you hit 60, the body struggles to cope. I realise it's the same for men too, especially the ones doing physical jobs.
Sorry if it sounds like i'm moaning, but isn't life just shit for some people.

[sparechange]

Some very lame clutching at straws on this thread!

DH and I are both from farming families. Men and women in our families have worked into their 70s and 80s for as long as anyone can remember. Long days, physical work, rarely days off, outside in all weathers
They got on with it, because that is what people do

The idea that working in a shop is leaving someone exhausted and worn out they say they turn 61? Perhaps they need to have looked after themselves better.
There is a 70 year old women in my cycling club who rides 60 miles a week, and looks after her 5 GC mon-friday.
60 isn't geriatric and decrepit unless you've got a medical condition or haven't looked after yourself

[lazylab]

Yabu to say it's worse for women than men, having to work later in life.
Well tbf i actually didn't. I did say, I realise it's just as bad for men. I suppose the only reason the title mentioned women was because i was just thinking about my friends.

[daisychain01]

There are lots of talented and energetic woman who want to carry on working and don't want to be written off as too old.

I can understand people in manual jobs finding it increasingly difficult to sustain the same levels of activity at 65-70 than they did in their 30s and 40s. But equally, there are loads who have plenty to give in terms of expertise, experience and being role models to younger women, to continue leading productive lives for as long as possible. There is plenty of evidence that c

I can't see myself ever retiring, but then again I am healthy and feel motivated to continue in my chosen career. Not everyone is fortunate to do a job they love.

[WhataHexIgotinto]

To be fair sparechange none of us can speak for someone else, what one person finds easy could be awful for someone else, who knows.

I'm in great health, look after myself and will continue to do so but who knows how things will be for me in ten years.

[kaitlinktm]

Most WASPI women don't have private pensions to fall back on. Some companies didn't even allow women to join their pension schemes until the 1990s. Anyone who got divorced didn't get a share of their ex husband's pension until around 15 years ago. Many women now in their 60s don't even have a full state pension entitlement let alone a private one.

Yes, I worked several years where I wasn't entitled to be in the pensions scheme, and the part-time hours I had to work before the children went to school and I could be full time had no pension scheme.

It still doesn't stop me worrying about future generations though - even though patently they couldn't give a fuck about me.

[BraveBear]

My main issue with equal pension ages is that women are expected to be free carers in our society and men aren't (though I know some are).

Last time I called one friend who is in her early 70s she was trying to get under a hedgerow to catch some feral cats and get them neutered for Cats Protection. Today she's helping out at a church bazaar. Her husband sits home and reads till she's back to make his dinner. And she's not an exception, all her retired female friends have a lot of commitments and responsibilities - grandchildren, elderly relatives, propping up local charities. I think we're in danger of losing that. Women will think "I did my 66-68-70 years, now I'm going to put my feet up" too.

[WhatALoadOfOldBollocks]

Genuine question (so apologies if I inadvertently offend anyone) but what is the reason women retire earlier than men?

[kiddietoysnetwork]

It al depend on individual unique cases. The Labour laws are outdated and crappy

[Malfoyy]

My fil is 76 and retired at 53. DH will be 70 if he's lucky.

It's shit but this is reality.

Also how do you think they'll pay their mortgages if they retired now?!

[skyzumarubble]

I fully expect there to be no state pension when I'm older. I do have a private pension but can't imagine being able to afford to take it at 60.

[TestTubeTeen]

Women of that age started their working lives being told they could draw state pension at 60. Then it was equalised with men's 65, then put to 66 for all.

I think it iniquitous that people cannot retire at 65, unless they have been lucky / well paid enough to have a big enough private pension pot to draw on,

[Parker231]

Retirement in your mid/late 60's is going to be grim but I agree that the state retirement age should be the same for men and women.

[Mysterycat23]

The majority of people won't be working until the state pension age. They will be let go, downsized, off long term sick. They will be forced to claim ESA or JSA until state pension age.

But those payments are lower than the state pension per week so I guess the numbers are preferable?

It is all completely insane, tragic, and I have no clue what a solution would look like.

[juneau]

I do have some sympathy with people who have had pension age changes sprung on them and their retirement age drastically adjusted upwards. These people (mainly women), did not realise they should be saving to make up that difference when they were young enough to be able to do so. It is, of course, fair that men and women get to retire at the same age and I think it's good that those two ages are being brought into line.

I think too that there needs to be a complete shift in thinking. Young people should be starting a pension as soon as start work and they should pay into it every month. I'm in my early 40s I know lots of people with hardly any savings who did not do this and they are going to be basically fucked if they want or need to retire before 70, because the state pension is already at barely subsistence/poverty levels. In 25 years' time it will be worthless.

WE ARE ALL ON OUR OWN and the sooner we realise this and save accordingly for old age, the better.

[AllPizzasGreatAndSmall]

How about the physical toll carrying children has on the body? Don't want to go into detail, but having two children has definitely changed my body for the worse, problems which DH doesn't have.

Not all women have children and of those that do, the vast majority are not physically affected in a way that is detrimental to their ability to work.

[JaceLancs]

I will be working till 68 just not sure what I will be able to do by then
Will probably have to work part time after that as tiny pension and no savings
My mortgage will be paid off when I'm 65 at least
In contrast DM took early retirement at 51 DF 65 (26 years ago) both are on final salary pensions and have a standard of living I dream of

[VestalVirgin]

People should be allowed to work as long as they like. For people who have jobs they like, retiring isn't always beneficial.

But factory work? No way.

It should be acknowledged that not all jobs are created equal. A 90 year old may well enjoy working as university professor, but someone of that age shouldn't be forced to do physical work!

And yes, women's reproductive labour should be taken into consideration with regard to retirement age and money.

Women living longer doesn't mean much. Longevity has little to do with ability to work. With modern medicine, people can be chronically sick for years, and some chronic diseases are much more common in women than men.
If a man drops dead from heart attack at age 60, that doesn't mean he was too weakened to work at age 50.

[sashh]

It is right that women are brought in line with men

True, but it should only apply to women born after the sex discrimination act became law.

[AfunaMbatata]

I work in a nursing home, I'm probably going to have to work there untill I need to move in there myself!

[SleightOfHand]

Not everyone can have a good career Ganoush, we would fall apart if we were all doctors and lawyers etc. Exactly.

[lljkk]

Today's 65yo woman can expect to live another 20 yrs before dying.
Hooray for modern medicine but no way is it economically realistic for everyone to spend almost 1/3 of adult life in full retirement on a pension.

[JaneEyre70]

My Mum is 70 and still working more or less full time, but she's beyond exhausted and is suffering with ill health as a result. She and my stepdad are terrible spenders, they are now thinking of equity release meaning they will lose their one and only asset but that's a whole other thread. It doesn't help that Mum is in partnership with my sister, who doesn't seem to recognise Mum's age or health being an issue. Hence we have a very fractured family dynamic because of it. If someone is working through choice for company and socialisation, I have no issue but when it's affecting their quality of life then it's really upsetting.

[cardibach]

Lweji why will you have a larger unproductive group which has to be paid by those in work?
Surely it's one in one out? You either pay 1 pensioner their pension having had the benefit of their ideas and effort, or 1 young person unemployment benefits while wasting their potential contributions in terms of ideas etc. I really don't see why paying the pension is the better option here.

[cardibach]

Sorry, isn't the better option. Lost track of my syntax.