Work till you drop

This is a generalization before I get hung drawn and quartered. There is much talk about the benefit culture lately, but just for a minute let’s consider a typified existence, assume an average life span is of eighty years, the first fifteen years being a baby or in education, the period from sixteen years to sixty five years being spent in gainful employment, and the last fifteen years in retirement. That would mean that out of an eighty year lifespan, thirty years would be spent being supported, outside the work ethic, or 38% (ball park) of that lifespan, by some sort of social support ( I know of parental responsibility at the start, and at the other end private pensions) but is it not incumbent on all individuals to work until they drop. It would seem to get us out of the mire, we need to think outside the box, and not accept any period of none productivity, regardless of age or historical pension rights, I don’t see a way of putting minors to productive use, so this plan would affect peeps at the end of a life cycle, anyone up for it.?

Re: Work till you drop

BTW, I claim no benefits, and work hard under my own steam, and will continue to do so.

Re: Work till you drop

Could work for some ,but not in Construction and Heavy industry. Ive always wondered why Civil servants and Teachers get earlier retirement than the above types of industry. But where are these jobs, that we are all going to work in ?

Re: Work till you drop

Very good point, I worked for over 30 years in heavy industry and it is very telling on the body. I retired at 60 as a self funded retiree, now I am 65 I get a part pension from the federal government. I have to say a very generous part pension, much more than I expected.

As far as I know there are no professions that are entitled to the pension earlier than others likewise superannuation pension/income is only tax free once you are 60 and only available to anyone once they are 55. The federal government has just announced that superannuation pension incomes of over $100000 per annum are to be taxed at 15% but this will only affect about 16000 superannuants (you would have to have many $millions to get that sort of return).

Perhaps we are a more egalitarian society than Britain but it seems a very fair system to me.

Re: Work till you drop

If people want to work til they drop fair enough but personally do I want to be cleaning toilets etc until I die ? not really in fact if that was the plan I would stop working now and let the benifit system look after me for a while.
My husband struggles now at 52 with his manual job, something he could do easily at 22, 32 and 42. I cannot imagine he will still be working by 62 at the rate of decline in his health.

Also more older people work the less jobs available for the school leavers - it skews the system entirely. Unless someone can find jobs for everyone it just wouldn't work.

Re: Work till you drop

Ironically at the moment because of full employment and a shortage of skilled workers the push is on to retain older workers in the workforce longer, there are tax incentives and bonuses for older workers not available to younger workers.

Doesn't help unemployed youth who can't get work because of a lack of experience or skills, they are just forced to stay at school longer or find training. Much cheaper to bring in fully trained people from overseas (saves a heap in training and education costs too and takes important skills from countries who need those skills).

It can't last.

Re: Work till you drop

True and it strains the benefit system far more than just giving people a pension at the end of their working life (65ish).

Re: Work till you drop

According to the Guardian, 47% of the welfare budget (74 £bn) goes to the state pension and rightly so, 4.91 £bn goes on unemployment benefit.

Re: Work till you drop

I have been retired for 6 years now. I dont feel like getting up early, standing in the cold and dark mornings of Winter and catching a bus
that takes forever to get into the City. I think the difference between
the UK and Australia is your pensions are larger than the normal ones
here. Also the bills for living are larger too. Try keeping yourself this
Winter. Its gone from October to now April and we are still freezing
to death. The gas bills are horrendous. That doesnt happen in most Countries like Oz unless you consider 16 degrees cold like my penfriend

Our pensioners deserve to have less work to do and especially the
manuel workers who have worn themselves out. I did a Office job
as well as bring up two kids by myself but I wouldnt work if it takes
a job off of a youngster. They will never become experienced if they
never get a job. Plus the jobs at the moment in the UK are alot of
part time ones which do not give you enough to live on. There are
supposed to be half a million vacancies at the moment and there are
estimated (probably under estimated) at least two and a half million
unemployed so no jobs.

Re: Work till you drop

Try being a teacher! My husband was a teacher then a head teacher before taking early retirement. His working day started by 8am and if he was home by 7.30pm he was early! It was often much later than than with governors meetings and other things in the evening. The only day he took off from doing some sort of work was Christmas Day. He even took work on holiday, which didn't exactly please me much!