To retire

Wasn't there a news story recently that the govt have been giving companies registers off shore billions in support and they don't pay any tax here?! Makes my blood boil. Keep your furlough pay you deserve it more than them!

I would say definitely to retire and accept the money as some of the tax you and OH have paid in over the years for just such a possibility. By retiring you are freeing up a job for a young person or family with children who will badly need it .

Esspee knowing government bureaucracy, you might find it very difficult to return anyway. You've served your time now go and enjoy your retirement..

I`m with Lucca.

I expect there are quite a few people who, having spent time away from work, think that now is a good time to retire. Good luck to you. Enjoy it.

Nope .. retire..after all you are71 and there are more things to life than work!! Good luck

I agree with the above comments: you accepted the money in good faith, and now you are retiring and freeing up a job for someone of working age.
You don't mention any particular circumstances, but I would take your time to settle into your new circumstances and look round a bit. Your skills may well be wanted in a volunteer, or possibly casual role. However, retirement lets us look afresh at how we live. I hope it goes well.

I think a lot of people accepted furlough who could have managed without it. I wasn’t offered it and decided not to pursue the matter as there are others worse off than me.

I just want to know how all this money is going to be recovered in the future - I suspect taxes will go sky high.

Am not sure how you would repay it anyway, the revenue wouldn't know what to do with it, they are only geered up to accept payments in certain ways, and as I work for an accountant, I couldn't advise on how to pay it back to them, as it is so unique. So I would keep it or as other have said give it to charity

You need to do what you feel is right for you. What others think or don't think is irrelevant.

Have a long and very happy retirement

Yes, go for retirement. As someone upthread pointed out there will be many out of work. Perhaps you retiring will create an opportunity for someone else.

If you can afford to retire, do so and enjoy retirement. It is wonderful.

Don't worry about the money. You can be sure the firms will ask for it back if they feel paying it out was unjustified, which I don't think it was.

Surely at 71, don’t you think it’s about time to retire.
And as it’s only pin money you say?

Hopefully you have a good pension.

Have a long healthy and happy retirement Esspee

Have a happy retirement! Please don’t return the money. If you don’t need it then perhaps give it to a charity that supports food banks or helps the homeless. That way it redirects the money to those who really need it. During lockdown my husband received food boxes from the government scheme. It took 5 weeks for them to stop sending one and in that time we just donated the weekly box to the local food bank.

Thank you cupcake1 for the flowers and everyone else who generously took the trouble to reply. As you will see if you followed the thread I have already decided to finish work but will donate the furlough money to my local hospice to ease my conscience.

Personally I think we’ve should let the youngsters get the jobs. Many of us have enjoyed full employment and the benefits of free education, young people will be struggling to find work and pay off their colossal university debts. We've had our chance, now let someone who is desperate take your place.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Wishing you a long and happy retirement Espee.

I promise you’ll soon forget what “work” was. ? ? ?

Esspee, it's not 'unethical' at all. It's entirely up to you to decide whether you'd be happy to return to work. Ask yourself whether it's worth the risk.

Now I've read back a bit I'm glad you've decided to retire. It's odd that you feel guilty about the money, though. You were entitled to it. There was no condition that you return to work involved.

I think you have probably got your working years in! Now you certainly have the choice of which way to go and what to do. Definitely not being unreasonable, a situation like this has never arisen before and no one is quite sure what to do for the best. But it is uncertain times and no one can give us any guarantees. So go with your heart, then your head will sort out the finer details. Best of luck!

I think you know when it's time to retire, I know I certainly did, and OH too. If. you feel you're at that point, retire. If you're not sure then you haven't reached it yet. You can check up about the conditions of furlough money, but there must be others in your position, including many who reassessed their life during lockdown. You've not claimed the money fraudulently so why feel guilty?

If you can afford to retire then go for it. The world has changed and if you don't want to do what is now required then do what you want to do. Life is too short. Happy retirement.