Lucy Harmer
Head of Services, Age UK
The thought of retirement can be a daunting prospect, particularly if you’re used to working in a structured environment.
Our advice is to think about the kind of lifestyle you want after retirement. For instance, you may want to keep busy with part-time work or voluntary work, or take on new challenges.You may want to travel or spend time with family. After working out what you want to do, you need to consider how to afford it.
Some people don’t have a realistic idea of how much they will receive from their state pension, and/or their occupational pension. Ask yourself: how much money are you going to need — and how much money are you likely to get? Where do you want to live — for example, in a house, flat, sheltered housing or community retirement home — are you downsizing or will you need to keep paying a mortgage after retirement and what will the implications be? Are you likely to have care needs? And how will you keep physically and mentally fit and healthy?
Doing a little bit of thinking and planning earlier will help ensure that the retirement you want is the one you can afford. Retirement isn’t just about living longer. It’s about living well, longer.