More Pensioners Working Into Retirement

As nearly 10 million people in Britain are now over 65, increasing numbers of pensioners are taking up a second career after they retire.

One in three 45 to 65-year-olds now plan to carry on working into retirement, according to a report by investment group Standard Life.

Sam Almond is 86 and lives in Altrincham, Cheshire, with his wife Hazel. After he retired from his job as the owner of a manufacturing company he began writing books about the financial markets.

His success as an author spurred him on to write a self-help book, Spinach For Breakfast, about the secrets to living longer.

He believes the key to staying young is keeping busy. Every day he gets up at 4.30am to allow time to do some exercise, eat a healthy breakfast and be at his desk for 8am.

The latest census shows the number of people over the age of 65 in England and Wales has increased by 10% over the last decade.

According to the Department for Work and Pensions life expectancy for men is expected to reach 91 by the year 2050.

One reason more people over retirement age are continuing to work is to top up their income.

The National Association for Pension Funds says nine in 10 people believe the state pension will not be enough for them in retirement.

Universities Minister David Willetts told Sky News: "One thing that we've done is transform the regime for older workers by abolishing compulsory retirement ages so that companies can keep staff for longer.

"But there may some people, who've paid off the mortgage and the kids have left home, who want to make a career change.

"We notice increasingly mature students who may have had one career but who are now thinking of getting a new qualification and starting a second career.

"I believe the more people that are out there seeking work, the more jobs get created. And if you look at the record of the last two years, despite the austerity, there have been more than one million extra jobs created in the private sector so we can create the jobs as people come forward who want to do them."

Julie Kertesz, 77, took up stand-up comedy a year ago. She says it's something she fell into by accident after realising she could make people laugh.

Originally from Hungary she has lived and worked around the world, mainly as a chemist.

She retired aged 60 but says she continued to pursue her interests in writing and photography.

She then tried public speaking and has now performed her stand-up routine in more than 50 venues across the UK.

She told Sky News: "The young people who listen to me are surprised and they like it, they say I'd like my grandmother to be like that or my grandfather.

"Don't die before you die - do things and live completely, change things because that is when you live... Even at 70 or 80 you can do wonderful things."