Unable to survive on their pensions, many older people have no choice but to return to work. What’s it like heading into your 70s in the showroom, canteen or classroom?
Before Sue Brown retired three years ago, she felt burned out. At 67, she was juggling a busy job at a chauffeur company and caring for her partner, Neil, who had severe health issues. “I was taking bookings and managing drivers so I often left the house at 4am,” she says. “I’ve worked since I was 15, but it became too much.”
In February this year, Neil died. Two months later, Brown took a part-time job at a kitchen canteen in Dorking, Surrey, where she lives. At first she was looking for a distraction from her grief and a way to keep active, but as the cost of living soars, working has become a necessity. “I wasn’t entitled to any allowances after I lost Neil. I’m living in the mobile home that he left me, but my pension only gives me £720 a month.”
