To think part of the increase in long term sickness is the increase in retirement age?

[Lazykitten]

Thinking of the people I know who are long term economically inactive long term (I believe that counted as over 6 months) and nearly all I know who fall into that bracket are my parents and there friends. Dad was a factory sparky and mum was a cleaner. Dad stopped work at i think around 61, mum does part time caring now in her early 60s but really struggles and I can see her having to give it up soon.

Most of their friends had similar manual jobs and now in their mid 60s a lot are signed off sick waiting for pension. These are people who have had manual jobs since they were 15/16 and their bodies are knackered. They can't (and very little point) in retraining now for their last couple of years before they get the state pension.

I work in an office job so can feasibly see how I could work to my late 60s and beyond, but those who've done manual work for over 40 years have the wear and tear on their bodies that they simply can't. As well as other health problems & decreasing energy levels that come with ageing.

There's got to be a sizeable number of folk age 60-67 that fall in that bracket? And taking it further is it another stick to beat the working class with?

I didn’t deny it, I asked what the conditions were that had caused them to be in that situation.

Increased retirement age
A decade of austerity
A crumbling NHS
Rising costs of living
A global pandemic

All result in rescued mental and physical health. Not laziness or attitude.

Easy pickings going for the sick and vulnerable.

Because for the majority having a manual job keeps them healthier and active for longer.

I hope you are also able to recognise your huge good fortune, because that plays a massive part too.

My grandparents both lived healthy active lives. As a doctor and a scientist (and both children of doctors) they never smoked, loved long walks, enjoyed gardening and eating the produce from their garden, etc etc. They both had to retire early due to Parkinson's and we now strongly suspect it was due to all the agricultural chemicals used on the countryside they loved so much.

my aunt is the most admirably healthy and vigorous person I know. She got cancer and although she survived it the treatment took her health and vigor

My work colleague loved sport, healthy living, had a wonderfully happy and balanced life etc. she got a brain tumour and the surgery has left her disabled

Yes healthy living helps, but it isn't a cast iron guarantee.

Agreed. Think I'm maybe a bit defensive of the narrative of my dad being 'feckless lazy' when he worked very hard for 45 years. And can say the same for most of his friends who are claiming pre-retirement benefits.

We are able to make choices which improve our chances of a healthier life. We all die in the end does that mean they shouldn't have bothered?

I run payrolls and it shocked me when I first started how much time off people have. There are certainly lots of people under 50 that are on long term sick. I've seen several examples where people have joined a company, worked the qualifying weeks then claimed full SSP. Most common reason tends to be mental health.

Absolutely part of it, it’s not realistic to do physical jobs into late middle age - especially if your body is battered from having done them your whole life. And that’s compounded by the fact a lot of these jobs are done by people in low socio-economic brackets who generally have less good health in later life, for many reasons.

Desk jobs are very different.

The usual. Mh. Then the next person picks up extra work but will often not go off but will become more and more stressed and resentful to their colleague. I think more people should refuse the extra workload. Then we would see the massive gaps being left.

I understand it gets to the point you need a break but long term is rediculous and time to admit you need a change.

This is one of the issues of raising the state pension age - there's a tipping point of when dealing with sickness/JSA benefits etc will end up being more expensive to process than just paying state pension.

Obviously manual jobs are physically more difficult but desk jobs still create issues. White collar roles are often extremely stressful (mental health) & sitting at a desk all day isn't good for the body (especially the call centre type roles where every minute is being monitored and you can't just get up to make a tea/have a wee).

Early 50's with two chronic health conditions and working in a manual job.

I struggle with my job due to my health. I'm basically just functioning now. I go to work, come in exhausted and in pain and too tired to do anything else. By the weekend I'm wiped out and don't have the energy for hobbies or socialising.

I've been applying for office work and stuff but I don't have the skills really. I just had an interview for a job that said I must have experience of Excel. I do have basic experience of that, but then they started talking about pivot tables and stuff in the interview and I'd not got a clue what they were talking about.

I really need to do some courses to learn new skills for a less manual job, but I'm just too knackered to study.

Other european countries have not seen this, they have increased numbers in work, both absolute and as a %.

We are an outlier, why?

Could be they have better public services and more help for people to get jobs they want rather than being pushed into ones they do not?

It's a good point about the impact of NHS delays, waiting for treatment/diagnosis must impact time off sick too

My worry is the money... I have worked my entire life! I've always paid my stamp.

Yet when I retire... my pension payment (if it's still there when I retire) is exactly the same as someone who has contributed very little or nothing too theirs!

If it wasn't for my own independent private pension I'm not sure I'd cope on what the government give me

Aging population must contribute to poor health stats

Nhs delays have an indirect impact as well as a direct one. As someone in the position of having both parents and children requiring medical care (and in its absence, filling in the gaps myself) it is increasingly difficult to do my own work full time as well as balance these caring responsibilities.

I have a very badly herniated disc and was off work for a month. I was very lucky (despite bad luck in first place) that the pain subsided quickly. If it had continued there is no way I could’ve returned to any form of work the pain was overwhelming. The wait list for surgery is over a year. I’m sure wait lists have a big part in this people just cannot get the help they need either mentally or physically.

All the people I know not working because of ill health or mental issues are under 40

I agree totally. I think we have only just begun to see the damage COVID has done and is continuing to do to our health. It is destroying immune systems.

Yes I absolutely think there is an element of classism in it. More likely to have entered the workforce early, more likely to do manual work, more likely to struggle with a healthy diet, more likely to struggle with mental health.
Of course this can affect the wealthy too, but all statistics show the lower socio-economic groups suffer more. And the independently wealthy, or those with private pensions that kick in at 55, we'll they're going to be less inclined to go through the nightmare PIP application for the extra couple of hundred quid

Wow.
I'm 61, overweight, fibromyalgia.
Ran a half marathon last year. Work 50+ hrs a week. Sole carer for disabled DD27, have grandkids for fun filled weekends.

I work at all of that.

How about just saying you don’t think you could manage on a state pension rather than punching down to someone who may not have been able to work due to ill health?

Lucky you.

I was diagnosed with arthritis at 26.

No way could I still be working in my 60s.

Probably because short term sickness becomes long term due to waiting times and diagnosis and then actual care.

it’s lots of things and I actually don’t think it’s because most people who were earning a decent wage want to live a on poverty benefits.