RETIREMENT AT LAST

I really did have to give a lot of thought to when to retire but I realised with my decreasing health and getting towards the late seventies that I should now be allowed some time to pursue my own hobbies and interests while I still have a little spare energy for them.

I have always thought that people need a listening ear when they have a problem that maybe doesn’t make sense. I have been fortunate in having good friends to listen to me if needed and I hope I have been there for others. Friends are a major part of my life now as my remaining relatives all live some distance away and I am ever thankful for the support and understanding they readily give me.

Fortunately even when first married, Mac was always happy for me to handle our finances and budget our limited income so when I became a widow this was no problem to me. The main thing of course now was that I just had my allowances to cover everything that had been paid for by two, electricity and gas being just a couple of items that are the same for one as for two!

Being only sixty I was not eligible for a widow’s pension or any financial help with Mac’s funeral expenses but as I had paid a full stamp all my working life was awarded a pension in my own right. Due to my very early enforced retirement from my nursing profession I had no pension from this source but have always been very grateful for my small industrial injury weekly payment. These and my DLA allowance have enabled me to be independent and live within my means which is so important to us all.

As the years go by I need more help with personal care and help to continue to be as independent as possible. I am fortunate to have some funding towards this which means I am able to employ and choose my own carers.

I have several friends who have lost their Partners and where only one dealt with the finances the remaining spouse has had great difficulty to manage on their own causing even more stress added to their bereavement. I would advise from personal experience that partners share financial knowledge so that in the event of bereavement whoever is left to cope on their own is fully aware of all their future responsibilities.