A senior who had to leave retirement for a part-time job to make ends meet voiced surprise that a survey reported last week on elderly workers forced back into employment did not show higher numbers.

The 71-year-old said the figure of one in ten found by Narrative Research in a poll conducted in August and September seemed, if anything, optimistic.

“I couldn’t believe the number — I thought it would have been seven in ten,” she added.

“We all need to be working in order to maintain a basic level of living. I’m not living lavishly and only travel for medical issues. I thought it would be a lot more.”

The woman, who requested not to be identified, said her partner was a senior who had to stay in work full-time while her retired sister, also elderly, had just applied for work.

She attributed the surge in expenses to inflation, adding: “I feel that, ever since Covid-19, it’s been going up and up and up. Shopping has suddenly gone crazy.”

The poll stated that residents “continue to face challenging economic conditions due to inflation and other pressures, including the high cost of living”.

However, the woman, who left her previous job upon mandatory retirement, said: “The question to me is, where is this money going and who is getting it? When I was in my thirties and forties, you expected profit-making, but it seems the guardrails have gone.

“I know a lot of businesses in Bermuda are doing the best they can, and it’s expensive to operate, but I don’t see any end in sight.”

She added: “I want to make clear that I am not destitute. I do have cash that I have ring-fenced. But I have a very tight budget and we’re still struggling, as are a lot of people.

“I had to help my son with groceries just so he can feed his children. He has a job, plus a weekend job, and his wife is full-time employed.”

She said her partner, who faced having to step away from a business that has become “much more competitive” for a worker of his age, “absolutely cannot afford to retire — he will have to pivot”.

She said he was “months behind on his rent” and had recently been cut off by Belco — having to pay a reconnection fee to keep the lights on.

The woman said that “when bread is $8.99 per loaf, and just walking into a medical office is $100 minimum”, it was impossible to survive without work.

“I'm fearful of getting ill and pray my animals don't get ill. I can't afford medical care for any of us.

“I do not smoke or drink, and exercise on a regular basis. I'm doing everything I can to stay healthy. Going to the supermarket is a weekly shock as I struggle with a $200 to $300 bill for basics.”

She said covering healthy food was particularly onerous.

“I don’t know about anybody else, but I’m eating peanut butter, frozen fruit and getting apples five times a week.

“My son goes fishing a lot and tries to feed his children that way. Eating right is the most expensive thing going. My biggest worry is how my grandchildren are going to be fed.”

Annual pension increases in tandem with inflation “don’t make any difference”, she said.

While she did not think “the Government is being truthful about tackling it”, she added: “I don’t care who is in power. I just wish they were looking out for the island instead of themselves.”

She said her “shock” at grocery bills was witnessed by supermarket cashiers who could attest to the reactions of customers at the checkout.

“I was retired about two years ago. I’m a single parent with children. It’s a constant flow of money going out. Unless you have an investment or a property to rent or some income, it’s not replaced. FutureCare covers very little.

“My sister is very similar to me. She retired a year after me. The company let her stay on past her retirement date, but she’s looking for work now. She had a recent illness and needs to try to get back into work.”

She added: “I feel like the water is up to my nose. I don’t know how much more I can take.”

Age Concern, the seniors’ charity, has set a $100,000 goal on its fundraising campaign for its hardship fund to help seniors in need. To contribute, see the Age Concern website.