Work in your late 50’s

If you can afford to would downgrading your role be an option? I know several teachers who have downgraded to TAs or support tutors and love being able to still work in education without the stress (and with your experience you would be snapped up as a TA.

You would also have your evenings and weekends freed up as no more marking and planning so you would have the energy and time to top up your income with some tutoring or babysitting.

We use Sitters the agency a lot, there are a lot of over 50s on there who are ex teachers.

Spare a thought for the Aussies------it's 67 for a woman at the moment and age increases every two years so by the time it comes for my D to retire, the age will be 70 !
Also, after a couple's retirement, if their assets, including their home is in excess of £400,000 odd,give or take, they don't get a pension !!

It's tough on working women. At 66 I had my very first hospital admission, so if I'd waited until 66 to retire my life would have been completely finished ! Where would the enjoyment of retiring come in ?

I think it's an awful decision to have to retire at that age. I'm aware that we're living longer but there'll be many who won't enjoy their retirement if they're bogged down with ill-health------or worse come retirement !

Also I can't imagine having to remain in a job that you hate. I think at this stage in your life it's a case of better the devil you know than to give it up, lose your pension and end up without a salary for the sake of a few more years. Decent paying jobs are thin on the ground and even at up to 45 you're certainly bottom of the list unless you look for work in the NHS where age isn't a problem.

Ah, yes I see. So, lizkaz1 you either need another job with a similar pension scheme to a teacher, or would have to earn enough to start a private pension which would not be as good. neither of which are easy to do.

I suppose you have to just keep trying to find another job, or hang on until retirement, but try to find enough enjoyable things to do with your colleagues, or outside of work, that you are not "wishing your life away". I do feel for you with the stress etc. but liking your actual work and colleagues is a big plus in a job.

Ilovecheese the problem here is that the OP would lose some of her pension. She started later in life and needs to work until she is 66 to get as much pension as possible.

At least she is employed, that is a bonus.

Could you go self employed and do tutoring?