To be worried how I will manage to work until I am 67?

[brasty]

I am in my mid fifties. I already get more tired than I used to when younger. I wonder how I am going to manage to work full time until I am 67 years old. And continue to do my share of cooking, cleaning, family stuff and actually having some fun.

Old witch

Fair point and at 44 I am old enough to plan(and am planning)

But for some people it's very very hard and whilst I usuallly love the brush out free advice itsbreallly hit me recently that for the carers of this world - it's scary

I drove home yesterday at a different time and I saw so many Mums (and Dads ) looking after their kids . I myself was caring for a parent after surgery

If the only options is to work every fucking day from 18 to 67 who will look after people

But yes things will have to change and here is hoping for a more compassionate govt but with Brexit they will have their hands full !

Someone up thread asked what does Japan do with its aging population
there's an article today in the NY Times "A lonely death" sorry I can't do the linky thing.

rather than focusing on: when i'm home full time I can cook more save on food

What does this even mean? What do you think the rest of us are doing - eating in restaurants every night?

As for children saving us money by leaving home or contributing, it's going to be a long time coming in this house - three to put through uni at a cost no one of our generation can ever have anticipated. Or perhaps you believed all the hype about how students from poor backgrounds won't need to find any cash up front, hahaha. (Even leaving aside the hilarious definition of 'poor' that feeds into that principle.)

Just because people are having a moan about their personal circumstances, and are downright enraged about the political currents that drive such circumstances, it doesn't mean we aren't also capable of thinking and planning, but there are limits to what is possible for many. There is a really strong correlation on this thread between thinking it's all a matter of being sensible and upbeat, and not being one of the ones who's actually got their tits in the wringer. You might like to think about that before telling everybody else off.

I am amazed by women my age (62) or near my age griping that they have only just found out they are going to have to work until they are 66/67 the pension act of 1995 made it clear that the pension age would go up in line with men's the only recent change is 1 or 2 years extra.

It is the second change that has ruined plans, we did have plenty of notice of first changes but I was 58 when the 2nd changes came in, I had budgeted for the first changes and by 60 I would have been in a position to retire as always planned. Sudden at 58, with my youngest 2 at uni, I had an extra 18 months to budget for. As my pension forecast is roughly £8,000 per year that left me with a £12,000 shortfall to fill in 2 years. I couldn't do it and ended up working an extra couple of years.

The real point is that individual stories don't really matter, it is the damage to people's confidence in planning. You can plan as much as you like but if the govt don't stick to their side of the bargain then what is the point?

Interesting article rollingcrone
www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/world/asia/japan-lonely-deaths-the-end.html

So lots and lots of Japanese elderly people living big apartment blocks and yet they say they are lonely why don't they make friends with each other?

Someone up thread asked what does Japan do with its aging population

If you mean me, I didn't ask that - I wanted to see a link to the law that obliges people to support their elderly parents, to the point that the parents can sue for that support.

Honestly I despair. Some of you on here really need to get a grip and realise how lucky you are.

We live in a country with a very generous welfare state for the needy.
We have free healthcare, unemployment is at it's lowest level for decades, there is (ok not generous) a state pension for our old age.

If we want a generous income when we are elderly it is up to us to think about it in plenty of time and help ourselves.

We saw the potential in buying buy to let properties decades ago.
Yes we took a chance and paying the mortgages was a hell of a struggle at times, and required sacrifices. Interest rates were nowhere near as low as they are now

I must be honest, lots of friends thought we were totally mad to saddle ourselves with so much debt but we were never short of tenants which paid the mortgages.

It paid off, and by the way I am not married to a hedge fund manager !!
We did it on fairly average salaries, and when the children came along I gave up work.

Oh Susanna you'll have to be more subtle than that if you want to get someone to bite 🤣😂😄

Its 70 in Australia and no doubt will be raised 3 or 4 times before I make it there! Op is part time work possible?

www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/23/national/media-national/constitutional-change-may-target-japans-elderly/#.Wh_suJCny2c

Going by this article it looks as if there are proposals to make care of elderly the legal responsibility of children but it's not actually law yet
From the link
'The proposed revision to Article 24 says the fundamental unit of society is the family, not the individual. In order to safeguard the integrity of a family, Yamaguchi figures, it may be necessary to rescind existing laws related to divorce, parent-child relationships and domestic violence. Such laws could be deemed “destructive” to the family under a new Constitution.

If Article 24 is revised in such a way, Yamaguchi believes the raising of children and care for elderly relatives will become the legal duty of the family, and will thus give the government an excuse to reduce its own public-welfare responsibilities. Given Japan’s socioeconomic situation, such a change sounds impractical, but not impossible — family responsibility is a powerful force, at least on a psychological level'

We saw the potential in buying buy to let properties decades ago.

I will try one more time.

First of all, just as an aside, healthcare is not free. That is nonsense and misleading.

But please, on an individual level you have done well with your investments (as it stands now). That is wonderful.

But consider, and it is not hard to do this at all, the societal problems if out of our nation of 66,000,000 roughly 13,000,000 people hit an age when they are unable to work or are denied work because of their age - without sufficient income to survive.

That is what we are facing.

And again, it is great that your hard work and shrewd investments paid off, but you must understand that unless you leave the country, you will be part of the society that will be affected by this development.

We can propose some different ideas about how we (including you) will be affected, but affected we (you too) will be.

makeourfuture, I am just wondering how you arrived at a figure of 13 million,( 13 million!) people without sufficient income to survive?

Where on earth did you get that extraordinary figure from?

Yes I accept with regard to the NHS I should have said 'free at the point of need' if I remember the phrase correctly.

makeourfuture, I am just wondering how you arrived at a figure of 13 million,( 13 million!) people without sufficient income to survive?

Pick your figure. I think it is safe to assume that it will be a much larger number than we have seen in the recent past. Producing effects that we, as a society are not geared to address.

I'm 54 and have a 9yo so I have to work until he finishes school at the very least - ie 63. I'm already genuinely tired by the end of each week. I work hard to keep myself fit which helps a bit but another 9 years is scary.

Downsizing & moving somewhere cheaper is my only real option.

Honestly I despair. Some of you on here really need to get a grip and realise how lucky you are.

This attitude is pretty typical across MN. Everyone moaning about their lot which is never their fault. Always blame the (Tory) Government. Bitter and nasty to anyone who has taken responsibility.

I don't get my state pension until I'm 66. I'm 60, nearly 61. Until fairly recently I thought I would get it at 60, then I was told 65, now it has been changed to 66. I've already had to reduce my work hours drastically so I can look after my husband. He is also 60 and can't work, as he had a heart attack this year and now has cognitive problems, as he wasn't breathing for a while. He had already taken his occupational pension a bit early, after working for nearly 40 years in the NHS. He had worked long hours for years, but was continuing to work part-time as his pension was less than half his previous income. He won't ever work again, as he has very little short-term memory. So we have a shortfall of over 5 years until we get our state pension.We have some savings, they were meant to be so we could have a little money to spend on doing things together when we finally retired. Now we find that we have to spend them on our living expenses for the next 5 years. I don't suppose we are unique. The government seem to have made no provision for people like us, who have been caught out by the pension changes.

I agree completely Kath. I would say the majority on here are left wing, presumably, horrifyingly, Corbyn fans.

In their eyes, everything is the fault of the Tories. Why is it so few seem to take responsibility for their own situation?

Typical Labour mindset of course.

I'm over 60, in full time work and self employed but what I want to say to SusannahL would get me banned.

Seriously is everyone planning on falling apart on their 60s?

Tweak your diet, get more exercise and start taking some vitamins regularly and you'll find you feel better, moan less and should live well into your 80s.

This attitude is pretty typical across MN. Everyone moaning about their lot which is never their fault. Always blame the (Tory) Government. Bitter and nasty to anyone who has taken responsibility.

There are many people on here where it genuinely isn't their fault that they didn't manage to build up enough when they were younger. What DOES piss off people like me is the "I'm OK, so you must be feckless & lazy/profligate/whatever if you don't have plenty of provision" attitude people like you seem to have.

I have nothing against responsible landlords, but by the nature of it we can't all purchase buy to let properties because who will we let them to? And many people (including "back in the day" when it was easier) had enough trouble buying a home to live in let alone an investment property - these were the people making it possible for you to get your property portfolio.

And lets look at how some people could afford to pay massive amounts into a private pension - until very recently a company pension wasn't mandatory and most lower paid jobs didn't have one.

Lets use an example - single person earning £17k a year in the South East. That's a take home of a touch over £1200 a month. Say £700 a month rent (not excessive by any means), leaves £500 a month to pay for commuting, food, utilities, clothing, any insurances, emergency fund etc without ever taking a holiday or having a cheap evening or day out. Just how much of that £500 is likely to be left over to put into a pension?

Suzanna and Kath and the other smug cows on here: fuck right off with your "I'm all right Jill" attitude.
Yes you might have got good health, no one else with long term health issues to look after and the sort of job that gives a nice fat final salary pension.
But not everyone else has and no not because they were idle labour voting benefit scrounging feckless idiots but simply because for a lot of people life is not a bed of gold plated roses.

But you'r all right so hoist those judge pants right up your arse.

sunshine, you can't know what your health will be like though can you? My dad doesn't smoke or drink or eat bad food and he exercised regularly. Massive heart attack at 62 - didn't die, but obviously it impacted on his health.

I'm 41 and I haven't expected any state provision for ages.

I feel for people in a tough spot.

Oh and Sunshine I used to eat well, have plenty of exercise etc - horse riding, hill climbing, hockey. I had a motor accident that left me with a problematic leg, which has lead to back problems. These will never be curable and will just get worse until I die - I don't think I will WANT to live into my 80's as every day will be agony rather than the current just constant pain. Fresh air & exercise, and good eating, didn't stop that car driving into me did it?