Heyday: 1.3 million older workers working in Britain today

Heyday logo for press releases

Sunday, 23, Nov 2008 12:30

Official figures, published last week, have revealed that an increasing number of people who have reached pensionable age are continuing to work rather than retire.

If you've been forced to retire, we want to know. Also, if you've been refused a job because you are over 65, we'd like to hear from you. Email us at memberservices@heyday.org.uk putting MRA as your subject heading or click here to tell us your story.

If you'd like us to keep you up to date with this and other news from Heyday, then why not sign up for our FREE newsletter? Joining's easy - click here for details.

Figures published by the Office of National Statistics show that as of March this year, there were 1.3 million people of pensionable age working in Britain. This is a rise of 8.8% on the previous year and the biggest rise in any age group.

Reports in the press over the last week have predominantly focused on those who are being forced to return to work or stay at work as they can no longer afford to retire. Living costs are certainly rising at a faster rate than pensions, leaving more and more elderly people struggling to cope financially.

But let’s not forget that some people at pensionable age simply don’t feel ready to retire. They may enjoy their jobs and just because they have reached a ‘certain age’ doesn’t mean that they’ve lost their skills, knowledge and experience overnight!

Mandatory retirement age forces people to retire, sometimes before they are ready.

That is why Heyday is campaigning to extend the right to work beyond retirement age.

Ailsa Ogilvie, director of Heyday said:

“People should have the right to work no matter what their age, whether it’s for financial benefit or their health and wellbeing. Our right to work should be based on skills and motivation, not our birth certificates”.

Facts:

• There has been a 2.1% rise in the number of workers aged between 50 and retirement age over the last year (60 for women, 65 for men)

• There are now 6.6 million men aged between 50-64, and women aged 50-59, in the workforce – more than the number of 25-34 year olds in jobs

• In 2007, 71% of people aged 50 to State Pension Age and 11% of people over it were working.

• About 900,000 people over 50 are not in work but want jobs. If they were all in work this would add around £30 billion to the economy.