The Age of No Retirement-I hate this name!

When Old Age Pension was introduced, its starting point was set at just a few years before people's average life expectancy, as it was intended to help them when they were unable to work due to old age.

Many people have come to expect to have a long retirement when they can enjoy themselves but there is no reason why society should continue to support that.

Here is a quote from the campaign to create the "Age of No Retirement":

"We hear constantly about the demographic time bomb, the baby boomers who stole the nation’s prosperity, and the unsustainable cost of paying for retirement in the future. But there’s another side to this. A really positive side.

35% of the UK population is over 50, and we are healthier, more skilled, better educated and more dynamic than ever before. So why are the over-50s in the UK not playing a more central role in the economy, in society?"

Jingle may have only worked six years but she may well have packed a life time's experience into those six years. Discovered penicillin ? Split the atom? Fed Africa? Who knows. As a new mum I had people on one side saying you're not going to stay a home looking after children are you? And on the other side saying you can't bring children into the world and give them to someone else to bring up.

My gym went bankrupt a few weeks ago which left me in a dilemma as to whether to join another one [I do enjoy going] or whether to devise an exercise eroutine to do at home. I then tried out the local council gym only to find that they didn't give concessions until everyone reached the age of 65. I pointed out that it seemed unfair given that I was living on my state pension plus a tiny works pension and, lo and behold they've now changed the ruling to 65+ but also people getting state pension. Makes perfect sense to me, given that they want us to stay fit and healthy. Having said that, I have friends that are just a bit younger than me that have got to wait another couple of years before they qualify for state pension, even though they're over 60. One friends husband has a bus pass but they end up using the car all the time because she has to pay bus fare. 60+ is now a shady area with some people receiving things and other not [adding insult to injury to those having to wait several more years than they expected before they qualify for their State pension]. I had to work for two extra years [62] and have only recently realised that it's taken me nearly a year to actually unwind enough to enjoy retirement.

I joke that my sis-in law took early retirement at 20 when she married my brother but being married to someone in the armed forces can be a job in itself. I grew up in the RAF it but marry into it? No thanks!

Books, radio, TV, libraries, lectures, talking to other people - I don't think acess to these is restricted to the hours at work. In fact, I suspect it would not go down at all well to spend the time supposed to be used doing whatever you are paid for in finding the facts and figures on which to form opinions.

Discussion with workmates? Yes, useful to exchange ideas with them, but there are actually lots of people around in other places, probably a lot more of them and a different cross-section to the same ones met repeatedly at work.

The lady who said she'd only had paid employment for six years didn't say she'd done nothing else. How do you know what she might have done? Bringing up the kids, looking after the old folks, lots of helping the neighbours and so on. I think it's a bit cheeky to say stay at mums can't have opinions. Anyway, I don't think much of yours.

I always worked from the age of 16, I didn't have children so have had no breaks in employment, never claimed unemployment benefit in my life (or whatever its called now). I am in the fortunate position of having enough income (just) to enable me to be "retired". I am very aware that not everyone is in the same position - several of my friends have to work in order to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.

I am now able to do things that interest me, reading, meeting friends for long lunches, travelling and voluntary work. Being "retired" doesn't mean sitting and waiting for death - its a new phase in my life, interesting and different.

And some are unemployable for some reason or other but earn their "keep" and more by supporting a partner emotionally and intellectually and enabling them to earn without worries about childcare, housework, responsibility for aged or sick relatives, and a million other things. Most marriages (or other partnerships) work as a team with each contributing their strengths and complementing the other.

There are many kinds of input to keep the brain cells from atrophying. Paid work is only one of them, and some paid work destroys more cells than it nourishes.

As Absent said not all women who don't work are benefit scroungers Silverfish . Many have just been very fortunate in marrying rich men. Now where did I go wrong?

Of course women who have never or have only briefly "worked", as opposed to bringing up kids and doing housework, are capable of giving opinions and giving advice. Just because a woman flips burgers, performs brain surgery or earns money in some other way doesn't necessarily mean that she is informed about the world, well-read, well-travelled articulate or just generally thoughtful.

BTW Not all SAHMs are on benefits and not of those who are are scroungers.

me too, but its better than being a benefit scrounger.

I agree it would be lovely to have a choice Silverfish but short of a lottery win, it's work again on Monday for me.

Bare not bear !

I cant believe these women who have never worked in their lives or just a few years can actually have opinions of their own, they have never earned the right to give advice or opine. I have nothing against those who can afford not to work but do voluntary work or give to society in some way but women who have never done anything harder than bring up kids and housework must really have only one brain cell.

Blimey Jings I wouldn't know what it was like to be a kept woman. I have worked from being 16 and only ever had the bear minimum few weeks off after the birth of my two children.

Not "working" sounds like paradise.

must be nice to have a choice

Crumbs Jinglbellsfrocks I'm not sure whether you're lucky to have been in that position or not. I've had a lot of careers which have given me a range of experiences both good and bad and I still keep my hand in at work from time to time and spend the rest of the time writing articles, supporting campaigns and meeting all sorts of interesting people as I go along. So although I'm officially retired my brain certainly isn't.

As I have only ever worked in paid employment for six years in my whole life, "retirement" has never really happened for me. What would I retire from? Life?

It's one thing to carry on working if you want to [during retirement] but not so good if you have to keep working to eat and pay the mortgage.
My DH retired early and then after a few years went back to work for a another few years[has just given up.]That was because he wanted to and enjoyed his job.Because I am younger than him I retired when he did , when I was 56.I felt then that I would enjoy being retired [and I did] now in my sixties and am still enjoying it.I have had a busy life and bringing up the children, jobs etc and now I love the slower pace of life.It is hard though, for all those that want to retire but can't and feel tired and not very well.

It is ridiculous, Galen - works the same for magistrates too. So it's OK for people to have to work until they are nearly 70, but not OK for them to to serious, necessary work at 70?!

I'm 70 in December. Don't feel it mentally. Unfortunately the department of Justice says that at 70 we are too old! Fortunately I was appointed 20 years ago which means my contract is until 72!
Can't believe the DOJ practises ageism can you?

I don't think its retirement that is the problem , it is how to finance it. It would be lovely to retire at 60 if I could afford it but I cant, on the other hand I need to work to 70 if I can,but I don't think Im fit enough. so wouldn't it be better for the retirement age to be set at 65 for everyone and we can get state pension but we can have the option to work part time if we want, I would not like to retire completely so would always like a little job just to keep meeting new people etc. but if its compulsory it is much harder. Obviously those with a private pension can retire when they like but there are many like me who don't have that safety net.
I really feel that having retirement age at 60 for women and 65 for men was so unfair on the men after all women are stronger and more able than men.

I hate the name too trisher but like Phoenix for very different reasons to yourself. I would love to have a retirement to look forward to. My DH is 63 and working longer and harder than he ever has. We will never retire. We have no pension to look forward to. We still have a mortgage to pay despite downsizing in order yo keep our small business afloat and keep our employees in work. I am glad that you are enjoying your retirement trisher but do please spare a thought for those of us who will probably never enjoy that luxury.

Galen my "retirement" includes starting work again in September, part time. I have retired from full time, salaried employment.

I think its good that you don't want to retire Galen what a waste that would be