A worried OAP has been forced to return to work aged 78 after ten years of retirement - to cope with the rising cost of living. Maurice Taylor said he was concerned about prices going up and wanted to "future proof his finances".
The white-haired OAP will start his job as a customer services advisor at premium taxi firm Addison Lee on Monday. Maurice, a father of one, said: "I haven't worked full time for ten years.
"I had what seemed like a reasonable pension ten years ago but it hasn't kept pace with the rate of inflation. Prices are going up for heating, gas and electricity. I'm alarmed by the further increases in the cost of fuel and petrol.
"I know that we are told the current situation is temporary but prices will never go back to where they were before. Rather than getting left behind by the situation - and we can't predict how much more prices will go up - I decided to do something about it.
"I'm not poor. I'm better off than a lot of pensioners but I wanted to future proof my finances. It's my long term survival plan."
Maurice started working in 1961 - when he was 17 - checking death claims at an insurance firm. He went on to work in sales for a furniture company before retiring ten years ago.
But on May 10, Maurice applied for a customer services role at Addison Lee and had a telephone interview two days later. He went for an assessment and face-to-face interview on May 19 and the next day was offered the job, which involves answering customer questions by telephone.
Maurice said: "They didn't mention my age at all. I did tell them and they said that it doesn't matter.
"I've been a widower for 10 years and I spend a lot of time at home on my own. The opportunity to be going to a workplace and mixing with colleagues day by day is really quite refreshing for me. I will be the grandfather of the workplace."
