Over 50 and no pension

[NameChangedAMillionTimes]

Hi, I've been ill in bed for the last few weeks and have got really depressed about life in general - inevitably I guess . Too much time to naval gaze. I had an acrimonious split from an abusive ex who I wasn't married to. I'm left with primary aged children and no money. The court process cost me a small fortune - to leave an abusive ex who I wasn't married to, who would have thought.

Anyway, what I'm worrying about is that I'm the wrong side of 50 and I don't have a pension. I have paid NI contributions but don't have a private pension. Is there any hope for my old age? I'm looking for work and am looking for jobs that have a good pension rather than what I want to do. I haven't worked for a decade because of caring responsibilities, then kids, and then the abusive relationship.

Any advice? I do own my home with a small mortgage so that is one good thing. I think I always thought having a property from when I was single would be my pension and I would work and have my own pension and then being in a relationship with children then we would go into old age together and share life and living and all would be ok.

But life has dealt some seriously bad cards in the last decade plus and I ended up leaving work to look after a family member who died, had already met ex who then took advantage of me financially as well as the other abuse. So my savings were depleted and he milked me of everything I had - my friends, my money, my family, my life, my soul, my very being - I have no idea who I am anymore, anxious, scared, cant trust people. Im left with no family, no friends, and no job. I'm feeling so depressed about life. Please be kind as I am feeling really shite about things.

If I could get a job with a pension, will 15/20 years of working left give me a life afterwards? My own parents died early 70s so sometimes I just think "Only got 20 years left so stop worrying"..

Well done on keeping the security of a house for yourself and your kids. You made a great decision right there. I think if you can get a local government, civil service etc type job you could accrue a decent enough pension to take you to retirement age. Depends on the salary I suppose as to how much it will be but you can pay in extra as others have said. Add your £10k state pension to it (if entitled) at age 67. You could even continue to work part time after that if you enjoy the job.

Sorry to hear of all those troubles you have been through. Life deals many of us some bitter blows. I am a divorcee, and it took quite a few years to really lay all the ghosts of that experience to bed. But it was over a decade ago now and is now something I hardly think about.

It really does sound like there are some good reasons for you to look forward with optimism. You have a house (so no need to pay rent in retirement) and you have at least 15 years of work left in which you can build up a pension to supplement your state pension. And you have children, which so many people want to have and life doesn't give them. You are not in a bad position now, and you can be even better by the time you retire.