happy days , my wife one of the last to get state pension at 60

Jennifer_Jane

mumps wrote: »

Over 20 years ago I was a fulltime mom of four, husband in a very well paid job. An accident resulted in my husband being unable to work. I became not only mom to four but carer to one and the wage earner. Due to circumstances my husband did not get a large lump sum but an income for life. I will be working until I am 64 years 9 months. We can live on my husbands income but it will die with him. His income is worthy less now than it was 20 years ago and his care needs can be expensive. I am saving hard and building up a pension so that I have an income if he dies before me. I work part time, the physical strain of caring for a man roughly twice my size wears me out. So circumstances change, we can't always plan for everything.

I also knew the pension age was changing but couldn't really do much about it. I stll have one at university but I will have three or four years before I retire when my money will be all mine. I already have enough years for my state pension, a local government pension which isn't a fortune and I am hoping to start putting £15k a year into a pension via salary sacrifice. I wish I could retire at 60, I fear I will be so worn out by 65 that I won't enjoy retirement much.

Mumps, I am also sorry to hear about the difficulties you have been through and you would have read from my post that my circumstances also changed, and I only had 9 working years in the UK to get sufficient money to live on. I don't get the full state pension.

You are doing exactly the right thing in boosting up your pension and I think that was really my point.

People need to be saving and saving and saving to give them the choices. Just as you now are. If you had done it earlier, it would have been cheaper for you and more profitable.

It's been known for decades that the state pension age was being changed, it's up to people when they retire, not the State.

I am sympathetic to your circumstances, it's obviously a great difficulty for you. Whilst I appreciate that circumstances change, but I wonder if people (not you specifically) really couldn't have put money away earlier - or then they shouldn't compain if they could have, even just a little, but didn't.

jackyann

butterfly72 wrote: »

I'm a district nurse and my state retirement age is 67. I'm already knackered at 40! They just want more and more from you. Today for example i did 10 visits in the morning. My back hurts and my brain is frazzled(i had a couple of complex patients). I've no idea how i will carry on in this role for another 27 years.

at the inception of the NHS, it was recognised that there were some jobs that were so exhausting, physically or mentally that retirement at 55 was necessary, they were called "special classes" (do the police still have an early retirement age?)
When the changes came about, I think that the "special classes" should have been retained, although it would be reasonable to increase the age (to say, 60).
In my original post I wrote "I was not dangerous" - but I would have become so in maybe 2 years, maybe 5; certainly before 67.
Had finances forced me to stay, I would have gone to my manager and said that I needed to move from clinical work. I don't know how that would have been handled.

I hope that you are in a union, and that you take the time (which most nurses don't!) to keep your manager informed of difficulties you run into.

jamesd

butterfly72 wrote: »

I'm a district nurse and my state retirement age is 67. I'm already knackered at 40! ... I've no idea how i will carry on in this role for another 27 years.

I you started at 18 you've been in the job for 22 years. Why wouldn't you do something now to change things so that you don't have to be in it for another 27 years? You can see the future and can try to change it.

tanith

jackyann wrote: »

at the inception of the NHS, it was recognised that there were some jobs that were so exhausting, physically or mentally that retirement at 55 was necessary, they were called "special classes" (do the police still have an early retirement age?)
When the changes came about, I think that the "special classes" should have been retained, although it would be reasonable to increase the age (to say, 60).
In my original post I wrote "I was not dangerous" - but I would have become so in maybe 2 years, maybe 5; certainly before 67.
Had finances forced me to stay, I would have gone to my manager and said that I needed to move from clinical work. I don't know how that would have been handled.

I hope that you are in a union, and that you take the time (which most nurses don't!) to keep your manager informed of difficulties you run into.

They call it redeployment jackyann, I was in that position 5yrs ago and the consultation between myself , management and O/H dept went on for nearly a year at the end of that time I was offered Ill-Health retirement and reluctantly took it. I'm not so sure that it would be offered quite so readily nowadays. I think they are far more insistent on finding you another position that is suitable. My Union Rep was invaluable in fighting my corner and informing me of what was and was not possible..

Prudent

butterfly72 wrote: »

I'm a district nurse and my state retirement age is 67. I'm already knackered at 40! They just want more and more from you. Today for example i did 10 visits in the morning. My back hurts and my brain is frazzled(i had a couple of complex patients). I've no idea how i will carry on in this role for another 27 years.

I really think they need to take into consideration the nature of the job. I have a physically demanding and mentally and emotionally draining job as a special needs teacher. On top of this is the continual pressure to produce reems of endless and meaningless paperwork. I love the children and they will always have a special place in my heart. I have been very blessed by working with them. However at 46 I am worn out as I also have a neurological disability. It is absolutely draining. It has had a very bad impact on my health over the last two years. I simply can't imagine being able to do this for another 21 years.

Prudent

tanith wrote: »

They call it redeployment jackyann, I was in that position 5yrs ago and the consultation between myself , management and O/H dept went on for nearly a year at the end of that time I was offered Ill-Health retirement and reluctantly took it. I'm not so sure that it would be offered quite so readily nowadays. I think they are far more insistent on finding you another position that is suitable. My Union Rep was invaluable in fighting my corner and informing me of what was and was not possible..

tanith how old were you when you got ill health retirement?Please don't feel you have to answer though if this question is too personal. I am working with a neurological illness plus another disbabilty and have become increasingly ill with the struggle to keep going.

funnyguy

Its all very well people saying save for a pension early.In the pension info my wife received it said at age 35 you would need to put in £100 pensionmonth to get approx £5000 per year at age 67..which is really scary.I mean my old non contibuty works pension [I only was in the job 5 years] is paying me £5000 p.a . when I reach age 60.And at 35 years old you are aiming to clear motgages and loans,etc.How can you win?

tanith

Prudent wrote: »

tanith how old were you when you got ill health retirement?Please don't feel you have to answer though if this question is too personal. I am working with a neurological illness plus another disbabilty and have become increasingly ill with the struggle to keep going.

I was 57 , now 63 and retired for 5yrs. I struggled for about 5yrs then had to have a surgery and although I went back on light duties I knew it was only a matter of time. My manager was excellent in finding me less physical work but even that wasn't enough and it came as a big shock when the OH doctor said I think you should apply for Ill-Health Retirement I just thought I'd be able to struggle on till I was 60. I was a very reluctant retiree as I loved my job but now I am so grateful that it was possible for me.. I do feel for others in that position as I know its not an easy road to go down nowadays..

seven-day-weekend

I 'retired' when I was 54 and my husband was 55 and went to live in Spain for eight years. However, we are now back in the UK and at 62 and 63 are working again as professional house/petsitters and really enjoying it.

It is a good way to supplement the pension and easy work if you like animals (especially dogs) and like living in other peoples' houses!

You could not live on it full-time though but it is good for people on a pension.

Prudent

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I 'retired' when I was 54 and my husband was 55 and went to live in Spain for eight years. However, we are now back in the UK and at 62 and 63 are working again as professional house/petssitters and really enjoying it.

It is a good way to supplement the pension and easy work if you like animals (especially dogs) and like living in other peoples' houses!

You could not live on it full-time though but it is good for people on a pension.

I have really enjoyed following your story over the years. I am an animal lover and would really enjoy the whole pet sitting/ house sitting thing. I shall keep this in mind for the future.