Well, after today’s appointment with the lovely lady from pension wise…it turns out I can retire, or more likely semi retire, my pension pot is bigger than I thought and if I wait until next year it will increase a bit more, what a relief, I just want a way out of this awful company I work for , if I can handle waiting until next year, great, but if they give me any more grief,then I’m off…
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Brilliant Primus, you’ll never look back…
So people say, I’m just pleased to have options
I am so pleased for you Primus.
Don’t take no sh*t. X
Quite agree with you there OGF, hopefully Primus you will be able to do what you want regarding retiring, it’s quite some weight off the mind when you have the choice of getting rid of any stress from working.
Being self-employed I semi-retired 13 years’ ago and took my personal pension as an annuity, just before those crashed in value, plus the maximum tax-free cash lump sum. The lump sum enabled me to pay off my biggest outgoing, the mortgage I had been paying for 38 years.
That was an interest-only mortgage with the usual problem of having to pay off some of the original mortgage as the original plan did not entirely cover the amount owed. The lump sum I took helped with that. Now fully retired life is so very different.
Best of luck with what you wish to do. 
I also am mortgage free baz, so another worry less…
Definitely not sweetie, now I have the knowledge of being able to leave when I want …
Hi
Same here, divorced, smaller house, ideal for me, kids have had the money already and no inheritance tax to pay.
No need to work, no Boss to answer to and a very good pension.
I can go fishing and on holiday, only restrictions being my current state of health, but that will improve.
Also, knowing that you CAN take early retirement, and so you CAN leave the job whenever you want to, that gives you power, and the strength to carry on for another year! 
Yes pyxell,
I enjoy the job, fixing stuff, it’s just all the hassle that goes with it,
Yes swims ,I suppose that must be a bit of a downer, having free time and financial security, but not the health to make the most of it, hopefully as you say that side of things will improve for you
Hi
If you play your cards right they may even make you redundant with a nice pay off.
I doubt it swims, I missed out when they took over, because I have a gas qualification, and nobody else in that area did, I was kept on, my mate in Newcastle got 17 grand, and I’d been there two years longer than him,
Some divide and conquer.
May you find dividends and conquer!
Swim beat me too it.
Don’t miss out Primus on a decent pay out, it will make significant difference. If you’ve been there many years then they HAVE to pay you a pot of cash IF they want to make you redundant.
It tends to become a bit of a game. Such employers very often begin the process of “managing a person out” of the organisation which basically means making life miserable for them so that they quit voluntarily. That then means the company doesn’t have to pay you out.
It is possible that this process has already begun with you, which is why you are finding things unpalatable.
It is a game, nothing more.
Don’t let them beat you at such a game.
Don’t quit.
Play the game.
That means reporting serious changes to your role. Any longer hours or additional workload and so on. Go through the proper HR procedures, get things noted down in your yearly appraisal reviews and so on. Raise a grievance case if you have to.
Is there a union presence in your company? If so, get involved. They will ensure you get your pay-out.
Remember, if they have to pay you £000s to make you compulsory redundant then they WILL try to manage you out instead so they don’t have to cough up. This is YOUR money that you earned through long years of work. You deserve it.
If you become aware of any rounds of redundancies in the company, compulsory redundancies, then tender your VOLUNTARY redundancy at that point and raise awareness of it. Many people don’t want to be made redundant and will get behind you if you volunteer.
Play the game imho.
Best
Realist
Pleased your meeting went well Primus and that you have some decent choices for the future.
Primus, this is fantastic news. Well done on getting everything sorted out
For a man such as yourself who has worked his way up and put in hard graft without shuffling paper about on a desk all his life, you have earned your retirement and I wish you a very happy one. make the most of it and find plenty of things to do with your time 
I’m some years behind you but after a very long and torturous situation paying off some horrendous debts, my first milestone comes this October when I can dip into my pension at age 55, which I will use to settle a nasty consolidation loan and pay off everything I own too. Also, I’ll get a new bathroom done, pay my wife’s debts off, get our accounts back into the black and finally be able to get a job again working normal daytime hours.
But enough of me, you enjoy yourself bud. It’s a long time coming, but now your retirement is here it’s worth the wait 
Good for you, sir!
Great news Primus!
I’m really pleased for you
I’m going to have a chat with my financial/pensions adviser very soon too
I don’t want to be teaching past 55 if I can help it…
It’s not really like that realist, I probably have a job for life there, it’s just that I was TUPE,d over from my last company to this company, the best way to describe them is that they know the cost of everything and the value of nothing, they tend to throw money at problems, I really don’t want to be part of this, there’s no union although my wife is in a union and I also am by proxy if you know what I mean, I just want a way out , and if I can stick another year then it’s an extra 20 grand on one of my pensions, but if push comes to shove, then I’ll stick two fingers up to them and hand in my notice, although I’ll be charged for the gas course I’ve recently done, I’m just glad I’ve got options now but we’ll see