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Older people forced to stay in work due to cost-of-living crisis

22 Nov 2023 2 minute read
Image from Age Cymru

A survey completed by close to 1,200 older people in Wales has found that almost 80% of them had changed their retirement plans over the past year because of the cost-of-living crisis.

According to Age Cymru’s fourth annual survey, What Matters to You, the vast majority of older people who altered their forecasted retirement plans during the last 12 months said they could not afford to retire and that their pension pots were getting smaller.

No other choice

One person told the survey that they had to have a career break due to caring responsibilities and would now have to build up their finances. Another said they were coming out of retirement to pay for a hip operation and dental care.

Many of the respondents to the survey felt they had no other choice but to go back to paid work after retiring from their current role because they felt unable to live off their pension.

One respondent shared: ”Rents are so high that it is impossible just to live on a state pension without working to supplement it.”

Statistics garnered from the survey reflect the current trend for older people to either remain in or return to work, with 61% of respondents in retirement, down from 67% last year, while the number of older people working either full or part-time increased from 23% to 36%.

Support available

To support over 50s in the workplace and those seeking work, Age Cymru and Business in the Community (Cymru) have devised specially designed Mid-Career Review webinars.

The webinars, which are free to anyone over 50 in Wales, are designed to provide information and resources to help attendees feel more in control of their career, work, health, financial wellbeing and work-life balance.

Jill Salter, Business in the Community’s Age at Work Programme Manager said: “Attendees of the Mid-Career Review webinars have found them very useful. They felt more informed on where to get further information, have increased motivation and resilience to deal with challenges and benefitted from enhanced confidence to focus and take action.”


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Jeff
Jeff
10 months ago

Government is making it expensive to live. Energy goes up (again) in Jan, standing charges look to go up next year, a government that cannot control prices but claims credit when it comes down yet offers to inflict financial harm on people less able to pay.
Today’s statement from Hunt will probably;y be a nothing budget but aimed at their voters. Which means red meat thrown the like of 30p and his supporters, which means people will suffer.

Linda Jones
Linda Jones
10 months ago

Hardly surprising given the UK state pension is one of the lowest in the developed world. Its approx a third of the that in Germany and half of that on France. How politicians have rolled back on all the promises made to todays pensioners to justify NI and the its huge increases over the years. Todays pensioners were promised a pension linked to earnings, free healthcare for life at the point of delivery etc etc. Now we need it its not there, stolen by politicians. We have paid into this government insurance scheme all our lives, decades and decades, and… Read more »

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