“Awful. Panicky”: How work-related inequalities are impacting older women’s hopes for their futures
Gender, ethnicity and caring responsibilities can all impact working lives and heighten the risk of financial insecurity in later life.
Dr Sarah Campbell of Manchester Metropolitan University and Dr Elaine Dewhurst of the University of Manchester detail the findings of their Uncertain Futures project which looked at the experiences of older women in Greater Manchester.
I’m expecting I’ll be cleaning toilets till I’m 85…Awful. Panicky. I think the only thing is, is because I don’t have a council flat and you’re always scrabbling to pay rent in the private sector, is that I might not be able to pay for that. And those are very expensive and precarious. I think the living allowance, I could live on, but I might be living in a treetop in a park to do it.
Unfortunately the experiences and concerns of Gemma are not uncommon. She was one of the participants in Uncertain Futures – a unique art and research project exploring the inequalities facing women over 50 around work.
Uncertain Futures has taken place in Manchester since 2019. The work has been led by Ruth Edson at Manchester Art Gallery, artist Suzanne Lacy and research teams from the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University.
It’s also been supported by 14 Manchester women aged over 50, all leaders and activists in their communities, who have been instrumental in the study’s design and progress.
Uncertain Futures features contributions from 100 diverse women aged 50 to 80, two-thirds of them from minority ethnic backgrounds. They were interviewed about four areas related to work: experiences of accessing work; work experiences; exiting the workplace; and the Covid-19 pandemic impact.
Their lived experiences provide a vivid illustration of the data presented in the Centre for Ageing Better’s State of Ageing 2023/24 highlighting how specific groups of older adults are at particular risk of financial insecurity in later life.
This may be the result of fragmented work histories caused by labour market inequalities across life and the experiences of many women in Uncertain Futures confirm the data.
Just half of the women interviewed had an occupational pension. Consequently, they expressed fear about their futures.
We also found that inequalities based on migration status, disability, age, gender and race were the most significant obstacles to accessing work. And on top of that, some workplaces don’t accommodate people with disabilities, long-term health conditions or caring responsibilities.
For many, such as older female caregivers from minority ethnic backgrounds, inequalities intersect, ensuring that the effects on their ability to work are compounded.
Regardless of the reasons, fragmented work histories and part-time work mean many people have accrued little in the way of earnings or savings over their lifetime and have low levels of private and workplace pension provision.
And, of course, state pension on its own is insufficient. As shown in State of Ageing, pensioners who reply on a state pension are likely to be in deeper poverty than those with occupational pensions.
We also found that those in deep poverty are more likely to be living in rented accommodation, with significant implications for mental and physical wellbeing.
Nora (77) held part-time low-paid work until her 50s while caring for her adult daughter with learning disabilities. She is also a volunteer, from which she gains a great deal of satisfaction. But having provided this unpaid volunteer work for more than 22 years, she exemplifies the ‘volunteer trap’.
This refers to older women providing care and support beyond their own family but not being valued economically and living with many financial restrictions. “Money is tight,” says Nora, “but I'm very thrifty.”
Women interviewed for the Uncertain Futures project from asylum backgrounds were also frequently trapped in volunteer posts, unable to work or earn and without access to public funds.
The women we spoke to in this situation were desperate to find paid work:
You can't go to any job, first thing is feeling... when you didn't find any job, you think you are not useful, you are not able to do anything. This feeling is very bad.
Ludobv (65) has had a similar experience. She said:
“I tried so hard to update somethings, to achieve something, some employment, some things to make money. For eight years, I study and study and study, but I’ve not been very successful.
“I applied for jobs... I applied for hundreds. I have had some interviews…But when immigrants come here without English, it is so much harder, and you are likely to be ignored.”
Indeed, a report published in May 2024 by the All-Party Parliamentary groups on Poverty and Migration found that the current policy preventing asylum seekers from working while also restricting access to public funds exacerbates the problem.
Addressing the inequalities facing women caused by fragmentation in their working lives is paramount.
A specific recommendation from the Uncertain Futures project is extending auto-enrolment into workplace pensions to include lower paid workers and those who are self-employed. This policy has had a profound effect on the pension landscape and has the potential to improve the financial outlook of many women who are currently at risk.
Moreover, it is vital to address these inequalities swiftly to improve things for those who are currently experiencing poverty in their later lives despite the considerable contributions they have made to society.
And it’s also vital if we’re to create sustainable futures for younger generations who, without action, may experience even worse hardship in their later lives, when we consider rising pension age, and declining rates of home ownership.
To find out more about the Uncertain Futures Project and see our manifesto for change see our website here and if you are in Manchester, you can visit our exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery, until January 2025.
