Letter: Old-age burden

Sir: I M McNeill (letter, 12 November) may as well resign himself to being a burden. If he is still working when his state pension starts he will find the state severely discourage his efforts.

For every pounds 2 earned above a fairly modest level of pension income he will lose pounds 1 from his state pension. Since he will be paying probably 23p in the pound tax on his earnings he will effectively be taxed at 73 per cent.

When I was 65 I decided that I would work part-time until I was 70 - health permitting. I have become so discouraged that at 68 I have pretty much given up trying.