Anyone still working full-tine in their 60’s?

As a carer my shifts are 7am to 10pm (home care) with a couple of hours lunch. No choice but to work this job. I have no qualifications and as I'm 65 no one will take me on. I will get my pension at 66 but cannot afford to pay all the bills on that, so will work as long as I can.

I work full-time, I'm one of the admin in a very busy District Nursing office, but intend retiring later in the year, when I can officially draw my State Pension. My husband never saw retirement, he died aged 55, I intend enjoying mine for both of us, even though money may be tight. I am also a Leader in Girlguiding, working with Guides aged 10-14 and 2 Rainbow units with girls aged 5-7, I'm a Rainbow Advisor, a Mentor for new leaders, a DBS verifier and have recently been away for the weekend on a County Planning weekend for Division Commissioners and Advisors. I love Girlguiding and the friends I have met have helped me through some of my darkest days

I worked full-time, with lots of UK wide travel, until last year, when I was 65. Then moved to a new employer, 4 days a week, so I can do a day’s childcare. And I volunteer one day each weekend.

I will be leaving my current job in three months (can’t wait, it was a mistake to take it) and had thought I would retire then, but now I’m not sure I want to. I think I confused ‘had enough of this job’ with ‘had enough of working’.

Too many people have made sacrifices for their employer, thinking they are essential and their employer needs them, only to find the moment things change they are out on the road with their P45s

This is so true!

The old unspoken social contract - work hard and be loyal and your employer will look after you - died long ago. It is now upto individuals to get whet they can out of the system which will work you until you drop if you allow it. And they will tax you to the hilt for the privilage! Raising NI and making pensioners pay this is the last straw. They have already made their contribution.

Rather than looking for "a job" there are plenty of opportunities for people to look for "work" on a self employed basis. And far more opportunities to manipulate the system and claw back some of what you put in. Remaining on PAYE you will get reamed every which way.

Many years ago my 87 year old aunt was working as a pharmacist, a taxi being provided to get her to work and back.
I then read that Margaret Thatcher had made a special trip to Cornwall to congratulate the person who was believed to be the oldest working woman in the country (88) There was even a photo of Mrs T giving her a congratulatory kiss

'Watch it, aunt, she'll get you next', I said. ' No , she won't' and her resignation went in the following week

I retired at 69...wish I hadn't...

Yes Working full 5 days currently and will be til in 66 and can claim my state pension ! (Another 2 years, 11 months !) Outraged !

I carried on until 64. At that age, I found I finally had time for work, with the children out of the house. At work itself, I was treated with respect (mainly), due to my age and experience.

In particular I resent strongly the way women have been treated regarding pensions. We were given various promises and assurances . I worked full time for 15 years, then lived abroad and paid the highest rate nat insurance to keep my pension levels correct, so for 2 years was away and did not received anything healthwise or in any other was. Back to england and worked full time until adopted my son. then at home and my situation changed and I was separated and with my son and he was too young to leave and had no support living near me. Remarried and my husband always said that he left college on the friday and started work the following monday and never had any break. Yet I ended up not getting a full pension, then it was moving the gate posts yet again when women were expected to work longer and longer before receiving their pension. an added insult was that I paid £11 in national stamp which was the equivalent at that time of a weeks wages. Eventually I got a letter informing me that my pension would go up by 6d a week which is to those of you too young to remember £sd is 2-1/2 new pence.! My friend had done all her calculations and made her plans as any sensible person would do. Of course she expected to receive her pension at 60 and when that was cancelled for a couple of years of course she was in difficulties. So to return to the main question, I think your health is the most important thing to consider. If working full time means you are totally exhausted and no time to enjoy home or friends and hobbies it is not worth it. To put up with a bad patch for a few weeks is ok but not if it routinely overstresses you and you get little out of life. as I know only too well , there is no guarantee that you will live a long life to enjoy your extra pension, so I really think that sitting down and looking at what is the minimum you could live on without being cold or hungry, and how you would feel working long hours to get more money need to be looked at and make a decision based on your results. I have to say that they majority of people who have a life with hobbies and family etc tend to say , they dont know how they managed to work full time as they are so busy, now they are retired! Also given the current situation, many grandparents are absolutely essential in helping on a regular basis with child care , not just the odd day here and there. I have a friend whose son is working in the south for about 2 years, which in the long term will be worthwhile and improve his job prospects, but the cost of living there is such that both parents work and she goes down every other week to cover childcare needs, as if they had to pay for those they could not afford to stay there. for a limited set time it is possible but could not be sustained ad infinitum. Remember when you start any new job it can be tiring, but exciting to have something new to tackle, but do you feel you can keep going at that pace for a long time? Good luck with whatever you decide

I always thought that if women wanted equality that should include having the same retirement age as men. Why should women have expected to retire at 60 when men had to wait another five years?

I was still working long hours till my late seventies (and loved it) and gained a First in a University degree at 74 - it all depends on your state of health. Main thing is to keep your brain active for as long as you can.....

Well done Suzikyoo.

In Germany the official age for pension begin is 67 years. So, yes, most are still working full time.

I am 71 and work 21 hours a week as a Teaching Assistant in a primary school so not full time but I do have to go in everyday. I couldn't do it if I didn't get the school holidays. I used to teach some years ago. I have no grandchildren yet and I would get bored if I was at home everyday.

#Germandsmum I've thought about it but I just feel I can't leave the young woman I've brought in. Very bright, very intelligent but left in a humdrum job in the restructure. She will make a brilliant Compliance Manager at some point but not quite yet and she is a really lovely person and I don't want to leave her in the lurch.

I worked full time until I was nearly 66. I loved the job and would have stayed longer, but couldn’t do the commuting - not as quick as the youngsters when trying to get a seat! DH was at home and did the cooking and some cleaning, which helped a lot.

I always thought that if women wanted equality that should include having the same retirement age as men. Why should women have expected to retire at 60 when men had to wait another five years

Men do not suffer the inconvenience of going about like a beached whale for 9 months. Nor do they suffer the pain and degradation of childbirth ir be lumbered with being the primary carer for years.

Until we find a means whereby childbirth is shared equally between men and women this will allways be so. Women will get the dirty end of the stick every time.

But a lot of women don’t work outside the home for some years after all that inconvenience, pain and degradation Biglouis. Most men have to carry on going to work and have the additional stress of knowing they have a family to support. Why should they have had to go on doing that for a full five years after those of their wives who did go back to work became entitled to retire? I don’t consider that my pregnancy and giving birth entitled me to retire five years earlier. And of course there are women who couldn’t or chose not to have children - where do they fit into your argument?

I retired at 65, before I got my state pension, simply because I was completely burnt out. I then had viral myocarditis and developed severe heart failure so all my plans went caput in the space of the 48 hours it took to go from fit and healthy to virtually bedridden.
I have improved to a degree but have had to completely change my lifestyle.
On a good day I almost forget how I felt.
Good luck, I wish you well with whatever you decide.

65 here and working full time including a lot of unsocial hours and evenings. Finding it hard to decide whether to retire at 66 or whether to ask to go part time. I like being really busy and am a bit fearful of losing the sense of order I get from going to work.

Worked until I was almost 63 , physical job so was getting harder . 2 years 3 moths until I get state pension ! Not that I’m counting ??

I retired at 62, 16 yrs ago hubby and I wanted to do some traveling. I loved my job and enjoyed working with my colleagues. It was a very sad day for me on the last day but there is life after work and our bucket list was long.

Teaching full-time (secondary) until 67, then 3 years part-time, commuting 800km p.w. to get there and back. Mother died, left me rich, now retired. Thank God.

I retired at 60 because the whole ethos of my department had changed and I was no longer happy there. Had the situation been as it was a year before I would definitely have stayed. DD reckons she won’t be able to retire before she is 70 and I think most of her friends are in the same situation.

I was lucky and retired at 62. My dearest sister is not so lucky she is 62 and works for a company who deal with medication orders and she works the horrible 4-12pm shift very often having to stay till 1 or 2am when the orders are completed. She is exhausted and spends most of her free time sleeping, she has no quality of life and obviously can't wait to retire. She does fear the age may be changed yet again before she gets her SP which will mean carrying on.