Working full time until 67 - is it possible or realistic?

[Hopthegoodgod]

I will not be able to take private pension until 67 yrs as I started paying in later in life.
Is it realistic to assume I can work full time
( state school teacher) ? Colleagues suggest I am being naive. I am in good health atm and not overweight or a smoker/drinker. However recent comments about how our working memory/body deteriates have got me doubting myself.Would welcome comments on personal experience or opinion?

I'm dreading my body deteriorating, I'm already shattered at 54!

Of course you can work until 67, and beyond if you want to. It’s not old nowadays.

My cousin only recently stopped at 70 (because her husband had retired and wanted her to join him), and she’s finding the change hard as she loved her job.

I think this is very job and person dependent.

But i know a Latin teacher in a private school who is in his late 70s and in the state school I work at we had a lunchtime supervisor/morning club/afterschool club worker who was 75. So not teaching but a fairly active job.

But a lot of people are not up to it too.

Possible yes
realistic yes
unappealing yes
something I have any intention of doing? Hell no

There are loads of older people working where I work. One is 82. It’s very doable

Some people never work at all due to bad health & most transition to more PT hours/more management roles by age early 60s. You are individual.

Yes. I continued as a teacher in a comprehensive until I was 66, I had a colleague who was 68. I felt absolutely fine, confident and energetic. I think my 50s were more of a challenge because of the menopause. Post menopausal? Great.

Well lots of people do either through need or choice. Keeping fit and mentally active is a plus as we age.

Where I work university teaching staff retirement age was 67 and had been for as long as anyone could remember. Many unis had switched to a no fixed retirement age and our has now changed the teaching staff to 69. Everyone else is on no fixed.

I have a colleague who is over 80. He's a musician and his previous jobs didn't have pension schemes. He's been with the uni for about 25 years. If I didn't know his story, I'd probably think he was mid 60s, but his energy levels are more like someone in their 40s. I suppose he's the exception not the rule, but there are a fair few colleagues over 65. I don't think I've ever thought any of them were losing it.

I'm in my mid sixties and now do a few hours a week private tutoring. There is no way I could manage a full week in a school. For me, with my health issues it would be completely unrealistic, but if I was healthier, perhaps not. Nobody knows what health issues might arise so you need to plan for the worst and hope for the best!

It's going to have to be alright in my case. But I'm not a teacher.

Depending when you entered the TPS, you could 'lock in' your best 10 years and then change to a less demanding role in your school, or even drop a day. Check out the Teacher to Teacher Facebook group, plus the Dave Fountain videos on YouTube.

It very much depends on what your job is.

An increasing number of people (myself included) are unlikely to ever retire.
Literally I will keep working as long as I can.

It's not unusual in the farming community for people to work well into their late 70s/ early 80s in very physical jobs.

My 79 year old father has just decided he might retire next year. Might, and will depend on the next door farmer who is 80 retiring first as he doesn't want to be out done by him.

It is possible and realistic for many people.

I worked full-time until around 63 and my sister is still working FT at 66; and a year ago one friend retired from FT teaching in a large private school aged around 72, and another retired from FT admin work at 70.

State pension age is designed so that some people won't make it. It's built into the model.

If people want to retire early, they need to plan for that.

Of course, as long as you are in good health. The owner of the company I work for is 78 and still working full time. Same with my sons employer (who does a very physical job). Neither actually need to but I think both are big believers in keeping active (mind and body).

I worked until I reached 67 then had to retire following an accident. I started working again 2 years ago and now do 3 days a week. I enjoy it. I get tired in the early evenings but so what? I get an early night. It's a very individual choice I think depending on circumstances.

Dh works in a physical job and is retiring soon aged 66. He's fit as anything....not retiring because he can't do his job

Working keeps your brain active - retirement is far more likely to lead to a deterioration in brain function than staying active (obviously depending on what you use your retirement for!). Nonsense to say you can’t work until you’re 67.

Potentially yes. I’ve got an income protection policy (chose that over a critical illness one) in case ill health takes me out between now and 65 - I guess from 65 to 67 I’ll have to hope my savings last me. In my case I’m hoping to go part time at 60 but if I had to I’d keep going.

Dh and I have physical jobs, no idea how we'll do them at 67!

I think it does depend on your health. My dad worked in a warehouse until he was 76 but he was luckily able to do so health wise and most people didn’t believe he was over 60.

Some of the people I share an office with are mid to late 60's. My manager is 67 and still working full time in a demanding job ( through choice I think ! ) . Most of them do work 3 days a week though.