Unretirement

I feel sorry for young generation who won't be able to claim pensions until they are about 70+.

I retired at 60 in 2002 and could not get out fast enough. This was in September and I found the winter miserable and lonely. My friends had retired and moved a fair distance from London.

In spring I was head hunted for a job but I only wanted to work 3 days a week so that was agreed. I also did exam invigilating locally for a few years as and when the jobs were available. I also did casual work and this was connected with my 3 day a week job because it was what I was trained to do. This was when I learned how to use a computer because I was writing 30 page reports.

I did the 3 day a week job for a year but wanted to leave then because the responsibility was getting too much. I even found a replacement, a friend so no problem.

I did the casual job until 2009 until I broke my ankle, had surgery so had to stop working.

I had saved the money I had earned which was one of the objects of the exercise as I wanted it for house refurbishment, new car or whatever. The IR became a pain so I really was pleased to retire fully and I have never regretted a minute because I enjoyed what I did and met some really pleasant people.

My DH has unretired several times.He was a teacher and hated retirement so returned to teaching within a year.Sometimes he worked FT and sometimes PT. He has now finally retired at 79 because his health is not as good as it was.However he still remains as a guide in a stately home which is only occasional.

There exists a very fortunate section of society who were able to retire at 60 for women and 65 for men, on a state pension with their private pensions...... but no more. I know of people who have enjoyed 30 + years of totally lovely retirement, and good luck to them.
I fostered for 20 years when it was not considered paid employment - my State Pension is minimal, the then husbands occupational pension benefits his second wife, and I am working, and working and working etc full time, am also a carer for my partner who has dementia. Our combined incomes exclude us from benefits, but are not really enough to live comfortably on - retirement? I would love the chance!!

I'm not sure if it counts as unretiring but my dad worked PT until he was 73 and my grandad also worked PT until six weeks before he died at the age of 84!

Dh retired at 59 and again at 71.

On the TV this morning a woman who had done research on this said that it was often men who were better off and better educated who were most likely to unretire. And, it's obvious that unsettling from manual work must be more difficult as one gets older.

I my opinion, it's not necessarily working that is good for you but keeping engaged and busy.

H retired/ took redundancy in April 2008. Within a month he started seasonal work for the council cutting verges etc. he did that until 2011 then started working for himself doing p/t seasonal gardening work. He has told his clients he'll be back next year. He will be 70 April 2018, I can't see him fully retired any time soon.

My husband 'unretired' 18mths after his initial retirement, when he was made an offer far too good to refuse.

He worked abroad and extraordinarily, at the age of 67, he was the second youngest of the expats in the company he worked for!

I love, love, love being retired, and have no remote thought of working.

I retired in 2006, and worked with the census in 2011. Didn’t mind it, but even for such a short period I resented my time being called on.

I simply can’t understand the suggestion that people are happier being gainfully employed.

I loved my job but love it even more being able to do what I want when I want- like I’m currently walking in Somerset and enjoying this glorious autumn weather. Why on earth would I prefer to sit in an office.

All that said, I fully understand that lack of a reasonable pension, so often experienced by woman does mean that working is essential.

I retired in Feb 2009 and that same year in the autumn decided to try for a Christmas job at a large well known store who frequently has sales often called "spectaculars". I had previously been a civil servant, although I'd done all kinds of part time jobs previous to that. I applied on line, it took ages and I took a lot of care with it. I got an acknowledgment then never another thing after that. So that was the end of my unretirement, I never tried again.

An interesting article but it does not go into enough detail. It does not seem to differentiate if people retire from full time posts and then return to part-time or full time, also it does not state whether people who retire go into similar jobs or those with less responsibility. I suspect some people who retire and have a partner still in full time employment find they get bored at home alone and so after a good rest decide to return to part-time or occasional work until their partner retires as well. This is what has happened to a number of people I know. However as a teacher I have recently decided to retire early and even though I cannot draw my occupation pension for another three years and state pension for another ten years I shall not be engaging in paid work work outside the home again and will instead provide emergency child care for my DGS.