How can I carry on working until I'm 67?

[hulmegirl1]

I work in the NHS and it's a physically and mentally demanding job that although vital is not well paid.
I am in my mid 50s and am definitely a lot more tired than I used to be.
Quite often I get home (my job means I'm standing most of my shift) and I'm exhausted physically and mentally.
I can't see that I can carry this on until I'm 67. My husband is five years older than me and self employed and doesn't earn much so we rely on my meagre salary to ensure the bills are paid.
Does anyone have any ideas how we are all going to cope with this new reality?
I know if I'd been advised a lot sooner I'd have made very different decisions.
I still have never had a letter advising me of my retirement date and really was not aware until well into my 40s.

If they make a state pension means tested, there will be no point for anyone on a lower wage to pay into a pension. well that money is paying the current pensioners pensions! And just because you're on a lower wage doesnt mean you dont have any money.

I'm 44. I fully expect that the pension age will continue to rise, staying ahead of my generation, and we will all have to work till we die.

Working until we are 67+ is the new reality unfortunately.

Try and transition now to a job that is less physically demanding.

If not possible you’ll probably have to reduce hours if possible.

Take a ‘good enough’ approach at work.

Reduce costs - children off your hands, mortgage paid off etc

Reduce expectations of what your retirement will look like.

Many people in the their 60s will struggle to work until 67 or more for a state pension. The lucky ones who have good occupational pension schemes may retire early. Others who have sedentary occupations such as office based roles will find this easier than many others, particularly if in good health.

Those who work in physically demanding jobs need to be making plans for a career change in their 40s or 50s. Disability caused by arthritis and many other conditions, often makes a job which involves real physical effort very hard to continue until a ripe old age. When I was younger I didn't believe that I might be crippled with OA before the age of 60, yet here we are, it happens.

My daughter is an NHS nurse. The advice I have given her is to be thinking about the above when she plans her career. The knock on effect of younger workers making earlier decisions to move off the front line to avoid being left high and dry, would still contribute to staffing shortages.

Whisky2014

Your point about Police pensions is valid. Making the Police (and other emergency services personnel) work for longer in demanding front line roles is not always going to be possible either. Many will simply not be fit enough.

Agree Op, I'm a paediatric nurse. And I've got MS as well. No chance of me lasting another 30 years. One of my colleagues had just retired at 68 and she really should have gone years ago. She just wasn't up to it anymore.

My state retirement age is 68. I have some savings, private pension, so hope to retire a little earlier.
I know some older people who have been retired 20+ & 30+ years !

I too have seen people working who really are not up to it any more.

MakeMyNight24

The halcyon days of early retirement have gone for many people. My Mother is knocking 90 and retired at 60. She also spent a number of years at home bringing up a family. It is a different world today.

Have you got other options? Can you downsize? Or Move to a cheaper area to release equity if you own your home. This doesn't have to be done now but could be part of a long term plan to retire early and reduce outgoings. Have you had an nhs pension forecast? It might be small but could make a difference.

I am in a physically demanding job and I'm finding it difficult too as I get older, so I'm building up skills in the voluntary sector so that I can look at a career change if necessary.

In the nicest way possible, you sound knackered. Try and get help where you can, don't take the slack of others at work, and pace yourself at home. I know it's easier said than done though.

I'd rather the NHS pension scheme could support clinical staff to retire by 60 if they need to. No one surely wants to be cared for by someone who feels exhausted physically and possibly mentally too. People deserve a break after years of caring, especially if they have been doing shift work which is notoriously bad for your health.

I would though cap payments to non clinical staff and not offer the same levels of non reduced early retirement to non clinical staff. The Trust I worked for was swimming in ineffective non clinical staff and management who get the same benefits as clinical staff (incredily generous sick pay too which some completely took the piss with). Actually sickens me to think that some of those dreadful, cruel and nepotistic managers, people who have enabled some of the scandals we have heard of and many we have not will be getting years of top pension pay

You can retire whenever you want! What you are complaining about is when people (younger than you) will start giving you money each week without you actually needing to work. When the date was set at 65 (men) life expectancy was 68! It's now 80+ on average. What we will all mostly need to do is save up, pay off the mortgage helps etc then we can reduce hours or taker a lower paid more sedentary job. Yes mine has increased from 60 to 67 too, but it has been well publicised through media outlets

I got divorced and now have to rent. I can't afford to buy. I'm not sure I'll be a good teacher at 67, but will be even less effective at 77. Rent is expensive.

Hannah I see plenty of people still retiring early because they are well off or inherit. I suspect many of the younger people on this thread from well off backgrounds will retire early when they inherit.

stucknoe Life expectancy for men is 79, not 80 plus.

the way my gran was at 67 there was no way she could have worked at that age.nor would they want her to!shes 90 now.

No choice really other than change job.

clairemcnam

After more than 40 years in the NHS, I am past being envious of the better off. Many younger posters may well expect to inherit and then find that the money goes to pay parent's care home fees instead. I certainly anticipate that my Mother's home will end up being sold for this purpose.

I don't own a house. I have a bit of savings to try.
I won't get state pension (that will be reserved for non savers) and won't get enough from private to cover rent for x years.
I too shall be working until I die.

Hannah, I will never inherit. I have had to work for every penny I have and fund elderly relatives as well.

Op can you take some of your pension at 55 and then continue to work part time?

clairemcnam

One point which never comes up in such debates is the fact that we have large numbers of young people in our society who live almost entirely off benefits and also bring their children up on benefits.

I appreciate only too well that many of them are not always very employable. Yet it is hard to see why all the emphasis is on older people who are no longer fit, working for longer to support the young who do not work.

Maybe we all need to ensure we are as fit and healthy as possible to ensure we can work longer.

For those women in their 50s perhaps some of you are in the menopause and will feel more energetic as you go through it?

I have a relative who is 87 who, given the chance, would love to go out to work and spends her time digging her garden on a continual basis.

I know lots of 60ish women who either didn't work or worked very part time jobs. Not that this means they deserve less, I think SAHP are fantastic and have been one for a long time.

How many years have you done op? I think you can take your pension years built up before 2015 at 60 (or earlier perhaps but with an actuarial reduction). That way you could maybe go part time?

The main problem with later retirements is that although we're living longer we're not necessarily living well.

I'm mid 50s and if it hadn't been for my meds I probably would had a stroke years ago. I've not worked for around 10 years and I honestly believe I will never get another job.
Luckily I have a very good pension and will actually be better off when I retire.