I have a physical disability due to excessively heavy work. I am now 65 and two months away from my official retirement date. I am suffering now with a deteriorated shoulder, prolapsed disc in my neck, and arthritis in both. I have other health issues such as asthma as well. The arm/neck pain is almost intolerable. I was deemed unfit to carry on my job in September of last year and signed off this March, just five months from State Pension age.

I am now deemed unemployed and have to report to the Job Centre periodically. I am really struggling to make ends meet due to only recieving £90 a week from Universal Credit. I have applied for PIP but am not holding my breath since the process is a nightmare. Because of my own experiences, I believe people with severe disabilities who cannot work should be allowed to retire at 60 years if they so wish, and the transition to such made easy to accomplish with medical reports. My problems began two years ago when the arthritis really started to gain hold and the specialist agreed that the more employment I did, the faster the damage would affect me. Had I been allowed to retire then I may not be as bad as I am now.