Re: What do you think I should do?

Have you considered property management for private landlords or/and managing holiday let property both of which seem to fit in well with your experience and trade contacts.

Re: What do you think I should do?

Looks like you're on the right path with the website, good luck and I hope this turns out to be fruitful for you.

Re: What do you think I should do?

Well Elbee, reading your post was a bit like reading my life.
I’m approaching 60 now, I have high cholesterol too and asthma and I lost my job in December. It was a temporary job but it was all that I could get at the time but had lasted from January 2009 and would have gone on if the company had not decided to close the warehouse where I was based and move the entire operation to Warrington in Cheshire. I’ve been looking for another job since then but had no luck because, in most cases there are about 80 – 100 applicants for almost every job in my area. I’ve applied for 78 jobs and had 17 replies and 8 interviews. All the rest I’ve had no replies from at all.
As you say, many of the jobs that you see online either do not exist or they are out of date but been resubmitted. The reason practise for this I really do not know because I’ve not seen it to this level before. It’s almost as if it’s deliberate but that’s silly – isn’t it?
I’ve actually checked this out and the DWP have changed the way they count the unemployed and jobs available, meaning that they lump all jobs together then come to the inevitable – and wrong conclusion that the jobless are mostly feckless scroungers because there are more jobs than applicants.
This morning I again found about 85% of the jobs available were beyond what most “ordinary” people can do and it’s specialised jobs or managerial posts only.
This is fact now.
I have an extra problem as I’m hearing impaired so my choice of jobs is pretty limited.

In three weeks I lose the pittance that I get called Jobseekers Allowance and I’ll just have three small pensions because I’ve had to opt to take them all early, with the second two commencing next month – I can’t take the chance now of still not having a job.
We have savings but they’ll soon go if we dip into them then we’ll be left with nothing.

My wife is a pensioner but still works part-time in a job where she’s stressed, treated badly and not appreciated but they’re cutting her hours in two months’ time – kick ‘em when they’re down eh?!! She gets her State Pension too but the taxman takes a big chunk every week and the same thing happens to mine – BR or Basic Rate, despite the fact that I’m not earning. They even call my Jobseekers Allowance taxable now! We don't have a mortgage now either so that's one blessing.
I don’t have any real advice for you my friend but please bear in mind that there are thousands like us in the same boat and nobody cares.
What I’m contemplating now is trying to get some private garden work to supplement our meagre income. That’s all that I can come up with now so perhaps there’s something you could turn your hand to – a skill that you have maybe – so good luck. stevmk2

Re: What do you think I should do?

Well I am still looking for a job but to be honest I have all but given up now.

At least I am happier not having that "hope" dashed every couple of days.

My website effort is paying off and I have doubled the number of visitors. Last week I added a new Home Owner's Forum. If nothing else it gives me something to do each day.

Steve,
Dont forget you have a tax allowance you use before you pay any tax!

Good luck with the gardening!

Re: What do you think I should do?

I've got all that in hand Elbee and I've asked for a refund as I am entitled! They've been whopping off tax from my pension all the 5 months that I've been unemployed so I worked out the whole Tax Year's earning, told them and said I want some of that back as it's 2010-2011 and I only just went over my £6575 allowance because I was part-time from May 2010 but they've been taking tax at Basic Rate from my pension so they've taken too much.
Tax rebates used to be done automatically but you have to pester them now so that's what I've done and used all the forms that they sent me! stevmk2

Re: What do you think I should do?

Elbee what can I say having seen the same thing happen to my sister and her hubby. They are in their late fifties and a similar situation she has taken part time employment for health reasons and he has had his hours of employment reduced. Needless to say their income has plummeted but there seems to be little they can do about it. For years they have saved for their retirement but they are now having to draw on their savings to keep up a reasonable standard of living. My sister is so depressed about it she says she wouldn't save as hard again because others have had it spent it enjoyed it and then claim of the state!!! SOMETHING WRONG IS'NT THERE!!!----------- I honestly don't know what you can do to beat the present climate things don't seem to be improving I can only wish you lots of luck. I am really sorry for honest working people like yourself. Thank goodness H/O and I retired before it all went pear shaped.

Re: What do you think I should do?

Things are changing for us now or in a few weeks it seems.
My wife's employers have decided to cut her hours from August 1st. That'll put us even worse off because, two weeks before that I lose my Job Seeker's allowance! Six months and that's yer lot!!
To add insult to injury, after ten years of her working for these sh**s, they are making everyone re-apply for their jobs, meaning that if someone else applies and gets her job she's out with no redundancy at all.
If I could just get a job I'd tell her to tell them to shove their job "where the sun don't shine!"
How's things for you Elbee? Better I hope. stevmk2

Re: What do you think I should do?

This is not true. The "applying for your old job" is just one fo the ways that the employer "decide" who to make redundant. The make scores for each person and then get rid of who they wanted to anyway!

So your wife will get redundancy.

My situation is just the same.