At a crossroads re continuing in work

Bea65

Am very uncertain what to do...have very little energy at moment due to bad fall 2mths ago and being off work...my present role i can do at home and its only 16hrs a week -am 67 - but can't seem to wake up in mornings and very sluggish most days..am not financially stable - have a very small pension when I do retire- this worries me although i've worked 55+yrs and during this time, often had a second job as needed to change car or wanted a holiday etc etc...just need a sounding board if anyone else has/had a similar situation and feel unsure which 'road' to take...

Hi Bea, I had a bad fall down concrete steps and badly sprained my ankle 2 years ago at 71. For 2 months I was resting and doing very little and feeling sorry for myself. I had my usual check ups found that my blood pressure had improved nd was pre-diabetic though I was feeling lethargic and depressed. As I binged on social media Facebook , tried to follow on line exercise classes I spotted a local gym that catered for over 65’s I was assessed and went twice a week for 3months.. It was the best 3 months membership I could have done. I got stronger and fitter and socialised with like minded people which lifted my mood. I visited food banks to pick and choose the right fruits and vegetable for my health. I now do a bit of volunteering and social prescribing on line-phone work and babysitting. I would suggest you keep up with GP checks and ask your GP social services for a social prescriber to help you get well nd pick up.

dogsmother

Doodldog this poster is 67 and has worked for 55 years. I would suggest at this stage the last thing anyone is wanting to do is aspirational interviews. I thinking more along the lines of supplemental small jobs.

I was simply pointing out that there is not necessarily 'always something you can do'. I don't think my sister would describe looking for a local job 'aspirational interviews' , but she isn't getting shortlisted. Obviously if this is not of interest to the OP she can ignore it, but given that she still has all options open I thought it was worth a mention.

Can you work from home at flexible times? If so do the job when you can
As others have said see what the doc says, not feeling ok to get up can be a sign of depression for example. A simple blood test and blood pressure review can tell you a lot. It told me that I had a liver problem and prediabetes for example , and the subsequent scans showed other things which weren't nasty but coils turn nasty so have had those dealt with.
That blood test and bp monitoring means I'm on medication and I am feeling a lot better.
With I could have continued working and did for a year but realized that I was the only person doing the job and of I became unwell I would need to take time off and then be behind and have to catch up, which would be stressful. I thought about it for a long time, and thinking of the growing number of friends my age who had died in the previous few years decided that I'd give in my notice and retire once I could draw my state pension, which is a bit more than my PT job brought in. Luckily I have another small pension and all is going.well, I'm enjoying my bus pass and the lack of stress. Sometimes I think I should have kept on for another couple.of years and enjoyed extra income. I could get a different part time job if I wanted I guess but for the time being all is well
Everyone has a different set of circumstances but get your health sorted first x

If you wanted to try Vitamin B12 in the meantime, Solgar was a brand that was recommended to me…..though maybe get your baseline blood tests first.

I'm thinking that having a fall may have knocked your 'spirit' as well as your energy - which often happens, especially in twilight years. Please try not to be hard on yourself and yes, as others have said I would certainly consult your GP. They often have checks they can run for anything serious and can often suggest supplements for anything that is needed, which may give you that extra energy boost.

A 16-hour working week isn't a great deal if you can try to continue, as it's probably a good access to a community and sense of wellbeing and worth in itself and, as you say the extra income. However, again, there may well be additional resource that you can pull on if you fit certain low income thresholds, which mean that you won't be left struggling.

Please don't let stress add to your problems.

I can recommend a wonderful hypnotherapist if it all gets too much and you need a relaxation session to soothe you.

I’m 62 and until last November had been working two 16 hours jobs. Hated one and loved the other. Had had my resignation letter written for months for the hated job but was terrified of jumping. Had a horrible time with a very sick friend in November and suddenly woke up one morning thinking what the heck. Handed in the letter that day and have not regretted a moment. Do it. You will be ok.

Doodldog this poster is 67 and has worked for 55 years. I would suggest at this stage the last thing anyone is wanting to do is aspirational interviews. I thinking more along the lines of supplemental small jobs.

Do you (or could you) qualify to 'medically retire' from your job? At least you'd get your state pension early. Does your employer offer any retirement planning scheme? It's not just about money, it's about your future life.

Kaazak Is your Pension Credit affected with you running a successful Airbnb I was under the impression the PC would be reduced due to extra income.

I think all comments are valuable, especially continuing to work in any capacity! What I would question is your pension situation, seems v. Low to me,x BUT - your health!! Yes seeing a GP demands lots of effort which you haven’t got but, have you had covid? Not even recently! Long COVID is under publicised and horrendous! Think total chronic fatigue as a starter, brain fog, breathing problems! So many different symptoms, no tests, but there are support groups now! I live with a “victim”! Deffo get your bloods done through GP though! Sincerely hope life improves for you. 💐

Oops... should be 'sit in the sun' lol

It's possible that you're feeling 'tired' due to stress. And it could be money stress, so stopping work might make you worse. Also, not working would be replaced with resting? If you can work from home I'd suggest you carry on. Sit in the council and go for a little walk each day. It'll feel like swimming in pineapples at first, but it'll get better. I get winter depression and lose my umph daily. I have to force myself up but, once I've been up and going, feel much better.

Are you eligible for state pension yet? If so you would probably be eligible for pension credit which includes other benefits too.
Also see GP about sluggishness.
Do you enjoy your job? If not then could that be contributing to that sluggish feeling! ie. Can’t be bothered!

I would see your GP (if you’re lucky enough to be able to!) first and get your health sorted. I was in a similar situation to you - late husband’s pension died with him so I only had my state pension. I applied for pension credits and got those then attendance allowance. I run an Airbnb now at my house which is very successful. I’m not loaded by any means but I am ok financially.

I'm coming up to retirement age and uncertain whether I'm going to stay at work once. I get my pension. But regarding the other issue I went to the Dr's had a blood test and found out I was vitamin B12 defienct so started off with injections now I take 3 small tablets a day. So. I would go and get checked at the Dr's and don't give up work yet find out what's making you feel sluggish. I wouldn't look for another job stuck with the one you have.

Whilst I don't disagree that health is important, I'm not sure that it is always the case that 'there is always stuff that you can do' after a certain age.

My sister left her job a year ago (partly for heath-related reasons which are now resolved) and is now looking for a new role. She is well qualified, flexible and doesn't mind if a new job is full or part-time. Despite a lifetime of experience she isn't even getting interviews. Her daughter works in HR and has helped her to polish her CV, so there is nothing wrong there - it does seem that despite legislation to prevent it, her age is putting people off. She is 62 and has five years to go before her State Pension 😟.

Health is everything, get to the doctors!
Money is secondary.
When you are well again you can if necessary take on work again to supplement pension if necessary there is always stuff you can do, but be please be kind to yourself and get fit again first.

If you can work at home and that's not too much of a challenge I would carry on. It's good to have something to take your interest for the day. In any case if you are not in great shape you would be at home most of the time.

But I think you need to see a doctor about your lack of energy. It may be your body taking longer to heal from your accident, it may be something like lack of iron, it might be thyroid etc but it definitely needs to be looked into.

Once that has been attended to you may feel a lot better. Ill health can lead to lots of difficult thinking and a low mood.

taken not taen

Bea65

Hmm.. such a quandary...last year before the cost of living crisis hit, was looking forward to retiring ..now am in a state of anxiety as we're still in it..well not all of us...Sunak & most of government don't understand can't compute how difficult it is for the majority of people who are either on benefits or still in work after SP age....this cost of living crisis has hijacked my retirement plans...

What would you do with your time if you did retire fully? I ask because 16 hours a week is not very long and your salary will help you do some things that you enjoy.

Turning to your state pension - have you taen it already or deferred for a while.

Hmm.. such a quandary...last year before the cost of living crisis hit, was looking forward to retiring ..now am in a state of anxiety as we're still in it..well not all of us...Sunak & most of government don't understand can't compute how difficult it is for the majority of people who are either on benefits or still in work after SP age....this cost of living crisis has hijacked my retirement plans...

I know what you mean about feeling validated by your work, that’s something I miss though I don’t regret retiring, however we do have good savings etc - would have been better had my pension not been with EL as Dinahmo mentions. I wouldn’t give up work without thinking very carefully about how important it is to your life, and 16 hours a week leaves you plenty of time to pursue other interests. Hopefully the doctor can get you firing on all cylinders again.

If you only have a small pension, even if you are careful will find yourself just managing. We are both poorly pension provisioned. In the 60's and 70's I either worked for large organisations where you had to be employed for a specific period before you could join the pension, or small companies that didn't offer a pension scheme. If you did stick it out long enough to join the scheme the pensions weren't portable as they are now which meant that your contributions stayed where they were and didn't really grow, or you got a refund of your contributions.

When I joined a large practice in 1980 I joined their scheme which turned out to be good but I only remained in their employment for 5 years.

At the same time I had a small practice of my own and my DH was self employed so we joined Equitable Life, which at that time was reckoned to be best. It had to be because all the partners had their funds with EL. And we all know what happened to EL. When that collapsed I wasn't interested in joining another scheme. In any event I knew I'd continue to work.

At 76 I still work. My vet bill's are quite high because of my diabetic dog who now has a tumour at the top of a back leg.
We do pay quite a lot for our top up insurance and I have always had top of the range varifocal lenses and am reluctant to switch to a poorer quality. Luckily I enjoy my work and I have good clients some of whom have been with me for 40 years. I am also saving every month for our older age.

So my advice is to think about what sort of life you'd like to leave during the next 5 or 10 years. Would you like to have the occasional holiday, or go to the theatre or ballet or out to eat with friends?

The prices of things I used to buy when we lived in London astound me now. Back in the 80s I bought a Mulberry shoulder bag in Liberty's sale. It was a second. A few days ago the strap broke and DH repaired it and dyed the bag and it looks almost as good as new. They no longer make that particular bag but other bags of similar size now cost in excess of £1000.00

MerylStreep hadn't heard of this type of anaemia...will look it up...can't get thru to GP...will have to physically go to surgery i think...but that feels like trekking up a mountain!

Should have read 45+yrs 😐 yes in receipt of SP .. being in work validates- gives me a purpose and meaning.. and maybe it’s loss of energy..and confidence after fall .. yes will try and contact GP if I can muster up energy! Thank You all for your comments