Older people's 'jobs market' is robust

Go Phoenix!!

Hi FlicketyB

I have to agree with you to some extent.
I was due a widows pension from when my wife would have been 60 and the company would contact me approximately 6 months before it was payable.
No communication was received and the initial reaction was she passed away over 7 years before and the person did say in view of the time scale she thought it was a bit unreasonable to expect it to be paid.
I had all the paperwork and scanned it to them and it was clear it was payable from her 60th birthday.
I then got a letter back saying her basic half pension would be paid from my 60th birthday. I am 6 months younger and they did not add on the pension for her AVC'S and her bonus sacrifice payments.
The previous letters did clearly state I would get half of all the pensions in the event of her death.
The company did say they had changed the Bonus Sacrifice and AVC pensions to single life ones after the letter was issued and it was no longer policy of the company to pay bonus sacrifice and AVC pensions to the widow or widower.
I contacted the chairman and after threatening legal action all the pensions are now being paid.

Frank

What on earth has any of that got to do with the subject of this thread, Frank? I have to agree with phoenix that the vast majority of your posts are about you, your finances and your grievances.

phoenix I understand...

Any pretext to air a grievance or discuss your finances, Frank! The OP is about the jobs market.

phoenix Think you're spot on. (re. 00.06.37 post)

Hi Ana

I was responding to FlicketyB about her redundancy payment. I think I was paid off when employers were more generous but I had to fight to get my widows pension from my wife's ex employers.
I think employers are now just trying to save money and trying to wriggle out of their legal obligations.

Frank

Phoenix I sympathise with you! If I could get you a job I would.

And so would I! We had a cup of coffee and a brief bit of retail therapy together today, and I'd employ her. Mind you, I'm not sure we'd get any work done....!

I have been retired for a good many years and I have been trying to get volunteering work in charity shops etc, to no avail. When i challenged the powers to be about youngsters working in these shops I was told they had to take the jobs as they were on job seekers allowance and that is why there are no positions for older people, I was gobsmacked as we are not asking to be paid for this work.

Frank as you seem to have such a talent for making sure that bodies do meet their obligations, have you thought about offering your services to others who may not know where to start?

Perhaps volunteering at your Local CAB, or even helping other GN'ers to draft letters etc.

Heaven forbid!

Ariadne!

Just a thought, you know, giving something back, helping others to benefit from ones expertise.............

You're right, phoenix - I think I was imagining in advance the likely fall-out from Frank's good-deedery...

phoenix, what are you trying to do to the CAB?

Oh dear anno I hadn't thought of it like that

Is Frank off somewhere today?

Please not the cab. I don't work for the midlands tribunal service but I should imagine there would be mass trouble if he joined the CAB.

Dottilind, When I was working for Age Concern (as was), I was visiting elderly people at home, advising on state benefits and any other problems they had. I even represented some clients at Social Security Tribunals. Not work that school leavers or even new graduates could do. Most of the Home Advisors were retired people and very elderly people felt more comfortable with us, particularly when they were having to admit to embarrassing medical problems like incontinence or having to give us details of all their financial circumstances.

My local Age Concern also had a local telephone befriending service and a number of other volunteer roles that older people did. It is also worth visiting your local volunteering centre. Another very small charity I am involved with managed to find some one with book keeping skills to be our treasurer through the Volunteer Centre and I currently volunteer for a heritage charity, an opportunity which I found on the volunteer website run by my local county council. There are plenty of volunteering jobs out there that cannot be done by school leavers where more mature volunteers are welcome.

To be a volunteer with CAB or AgeUK it helps to be capable of a modicum of empathy. In our CAB the majority of our volunteers are retired people whose experience (and, of course, CAB training) equips them to deal with clients who have got themselves into awkward situations or whom life has treated unkindly.

As Mr P would say "Ah, that'll be it then"

I would just like to add that the CAB were brilliant in their help with my debt problems a couple of years ago.

Most of our local ones are good, but we have one who claims the most ridiculous claims, like saying that someone whose vision is good enough for them to drive needs to be led around by the hand as they can't see where they're going!