Do you aspire to be in work in your 60s and even 70s?

I was mostly a stay at home Mum but have never had the time to play either play golf or bridge. I have however been on 3 river cruises since the children left home. I have also been kept very busy volunteering!

I think grandparents being entitled to Shared Parental Leave is a good idea. It doesn't mean any increase in time off having to be given by employers as it is Shared (the clue's in the title).

The main point of the suggestion is Lifetime (another clue) Loans. This is probably aimed at getting everyone beavering away all through their lifetimes and not shirking on the dole, and having to be paid benefits.

Remember that state pensions are benefits. I expect there's an intention to reduce and, maybe, eventually remove state pensions so people will have to shape up by making other provision for themselves.

A lot of comments have been about the great value of retired people to volunteering. Not everyone can afford to choose to retire and do volunteering instead. In future that's likely to be even more the case.

I understand that pension are 'state benefits' but don't a portion of our national insurance pay towards it.? How can people 'shape up' if their earnings hardly cover their living expenses? I realise that people live longer so the burden on the state has increased. There must be another way we the people and the government can work together to improve things. Expecting people to die at their ( so to speak) workbench isn't the answer.

Well I am so glad I "Shaped up " and went back to work at 50 ......... paid my "stamps " and superannuation contributions ......... now , at 78 I have no intention of working . My job was rather physical and the thought of trundling into work on my Zimmer makes no sense . .......... By the way I get only a half pension and NO benefits I hope Far has "shaped up " , some of my younger colleagues opted out of superan and state pension and are now living in penury , the private pensions schemes all fell below expectations

No! I retired at 61, after working full time, and commuting, for well over 30 years. I'd hate to be working now, much as I loved my job.

I too am busy volunteering, and doing local and international work. Certainly not a "mythical beast" and, like many of you, know very few who live that way. (Mind you, we're just back from 5 weeks in Australia and Singapore, so there's an advantage to being retired!)

Hilda I cannot understand why no one picked up on your post. That must be so hard, especially in the winter months. Yes, of course you would welcome a chance to retrain. X

The hardest working woman I know is in her late eighties. She is also one of the happiest people I know. She was widowed when her four children were small, and turned her hand to all sorts of jobs - sometimes several at once, then started a business when she was sixty, working into her seventies.

She does various types of voluntary work, including driving "old people" (some twenty years younger than she is).

She has always been involved in many community organisations, eventually becoming Chairman of the District Council.

She does go on cruises but only because she has a lodger whose rent pays for the cruises. She will willingly help anyone, not just her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and I have never ever heard her complain about being busy!

I agree with those who took exception to the phrase "shape up".
I was using it from the viewpoint of our rulers who want to reduce the amount of money being paid out by the state.

Speaking for myself, I hope to keep working (part-time) as long as possible and I feel a bit insecure about the idea of living only on pensions without any earned income.

Far North Shared parental leave can only work in large companies/organisations where there are plenty of people able to take over the role of the "missing" person. Assuming that this was a desk based role (perhaps a call centre or similar) I can see no problem, but in a business such as ours it would be impossible. Where on earth would I be expected to find a highly qualified and experienced Engineer who would be happy to pop in for a few weeks here and there, if and when someone decided they wanted time off to look after their grandchild? This is the real world !

I retired fully (having already retired once and returned on a part-time basis!!) in October. I was 68 yesterday. Much as I enjoyed it and miss the company of others and the 'routine' I realised I was slowing down, and nowhere near as 'sharp' as I used to be, so I decided it was time to go. Sometimes, we have to accept 'what is' on an individual basis!

I understand your problem gillybob.
Does allowing grandparents to take some of the total parental leave make things more difficult for you (and similar businesses) than if it is all to be taken by parents, as at present?

Nellymoser and Gillybob - when I was still working (I took early retirement last year) I ended up using up most of my holiday leave to cover for my daughter in looking after my grandchildren when they were sick or their schools had a non-school day or even school holidays. My ex son in law would not deal with looking after his children at all and left everything up to my daughter to deal with. My daughter has worked full time since leaving school and has only been away from work when on maternity leave (she worked up to the latest time possible with each baby). Many grandparents help out with childcare and, if you are still at work, then having some form of additional leave would be very useful.

I too use virtually all of my holiday entitlement looking after my 3 DGC DotMH1901. I also look after them 2 days a week every week including an overnight and have done since they were 6 weeks old. DS and DDiL both work full time. I can see the problems extra leave will cause in the workplace so think that things should stay exactly as they are.

It must be lovely to have the choice as to whether to carry on working or being able to retire. I will be 68 in January and have been working since the age of 16. I had 5 years off work for childcare (many years ago now!) and worked parttime whilst studying for a degree as a mature student. I was widowed at age 40 and still had a son aged 13, so obviously had to work and wanted to be able to give him a decent standard of living.
I currently work about 38 hours a week in an Orthopaedic practice but haven't ever had the opportunity to accrue a works pension and could never afford to buy a personal pension. Therefore, my income would be the basic state pension, which I feel is inadequate.

I am fortunate in that I am well-regarded in my job and it has never been considered that I might be too old - although sometimes I am asked by ex-colleagues when on earth I plan to retire. Ideally I think I would like to retire or at least reduce my working hours, but in reality that isn't possible.

I can't wait to give up work and am ticked off that they've stuck an extra 6 years on me . If they want us earning, why don't they pay us for all the voluntary work we do!

My husband has just agreed to reduce his working week to 3 days & he is 82!!
I'm 15 years younger & expect to work till I drop!!!

Both DH and I work(ed) in Higher Ed and are lucky enough to have occupational pensions which can be taken at 60. I retired this Autumn at 62, with the good fortune to come in for a voluntary severance deal as well. Teaching at any level, as Trisher says, is a surprisingly strenuous job, and that coupled with organisational frustrations meant my decision to go was very easy. DH is a bit younger but won't go on much past 60 for similar reasons. I haven't looked back, am picking up language learning again just for fun, and will be volunteering locally. (GC are too far away for me to be useful there.) A friend of similar age has an almost full-time volunteering role and regards that as her job and pension as her salary, which I think is a great attitude.

I am 70 and still working. Retirement holds no attraction at all for me since I am lucky enough to be self-employed in a job I love. I have a large house, 3 grown up children, 3 grandchildren and 3 resident cats so life is always busy. But that way it doesn't occur to me that people will think I am old.

I retired earlier this year aged 64. I have worked my whole adult life but when the people I was caring for were getting younger than me I decided it was time to stop. I worked part time and cared for 2 grandchildren part time to allow my daughter to return to work. I still collect them from school four days a week as my daughter works full time now I think I have paid my dues to society and want to enjoy life before I get too old and tired.

I am 68. Worked full time till 60, part time till 64. Worked hard at Uni, studied post grad, worked full time all my career. Raised two children. Did a job useful to society. Made financial provision for my old age. So I have been 'worthy' all my life.
Many of my family members died at 60, so I am enjoying my retirement on their behalf.
In my retirement I want to be frivolous and creative!

i feel incensed at this. I was unexpectedly made redundant in July at 61. I am well qualified with a degree and have worked all my life with a short gap when the children were small. I am unable to find another job because of ageism which is rife - all companies want to see passports at interview stage so know your age even if not on application. The only jobs available are low skill and low paid or zero hours. The Jobcentre insist on forcing applications to unsuitable jobs at min. wage within 90mins travelling time if you are claiming JSA. All the feedback I have had is "overqualified" or "overexperienced" so it is ridiculous and cruel to expect people to get loans for education expecting good jobs - it will not happen until businesses are educated too. If you have worked all your adult life and have the NI contributions you should be given some transitional allowance until pension age. Please anyone in this situation look at the WASPI campaign and sign the petition. We have been treated appallingly by the Government.

AuntBett - I was widowed at 42 and had to return to work full time as my children were both over 18 and out of full time education so I didn't qualify for the Widowed Mother's Pension because of that but you should have been able to claim it I would have thought with having a young child to support. I also failed to meet the requirements for it to be paid because I was under the age for it to be paid without children. I too have worked since I was 16 (had a Saturday and holiday job at 15) but have never had enough 'spare' money to put aside. I was very lucky in that my late husband had a widow's pension built in to his pension plan and I also get a small pension from my 12 years as a Civil Servant. I have looked for part time work but not found anything yet and am looking at doing voluntary work until I do.

I would like to trian for something not sure what, at the moment I am doing voluntry work in the local R.S.P.C.A shop..It's just a shame it is voluntary as It would just suit me working there and having a little wage as it's easy going. meeting people chatting and also learning till work.

I have been ill for the best part of a year, and been informed by my employer that they " may not be able to keep my post open". I don't know when ( or if) I'll be able to return to my previous job, though it is a highly specialised one.

My skills are such that I can earn much more on a consultancy basis, but have decided that if I feel better, I should just enjoy what time of fitness I can. Money isn't everything, and we've got enough to get by.

It is not just voluntary work in the form of helping to run local services or attached to existing charities; it is looking after elderly parents and GC.

I do in fact know one couple whose retirement does simply consist of golf and bridge and other activities that they enjoy. I will not say who! Their view is that they worked hard (well, one of them did!) for 40 odd years and now they are just going to have all the fun they can. Personally I could not do that - life is about contributing to the community. Oh dear - protestant ethic!