Pensioner, 78, goes back to work due to cost of living crisis 10 years after retirement

A pensioner has returned to work at the age of 78 due to the rising cost of living.

Maurice Taylor, from Cambridge, said he got a job after 10 years of retirement because he was concerned about prices going up and wanted to "future proof his finances".

Taylor, a father of one, said: "I had what seemed like a reasonable pension 10 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.”

Inflation soared to 9% in the year to April, up from 7% in March, which was the fastest measured rate since records began in 1989, and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates it was the highest since 1982.

Read more: ‘Sharp fall’ in number who think Government not doing enough on cost of living

On 10 May, Taylor 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 19 May and the next day was offered the job, which involves answering customer questions by telephone.

Taylor, who will start the role on Monday, added: "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."

Taylor 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 a decade ago.

Watch: Rising prices for cheapest food may be in line with inflation - but will still hit poorest hard

Taylor, whose wife died 10 years ago, said he was looking forward to spending time with people at work because he was alone a lot of the time.

The widower said: "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."

A new survey showed half the population still think the government needs to do more to combat the cost-of-living crisis despite the announcement of £15bn in new support last Thursday.

Read more: UK firms' growth to 'flatline' as cost of living crisis bites

Pollster Ipsos found 49% of people thought the government was not providing enough help in the face of soaring inflation.

However, that figure is significantly lower than the 76% who said the government was not doing enough at the start of May, while the proportion who think the government is providing the right amount of support has more than doubled to 25%.

The energy price cap is expected to increase by a further £830 to £2,800 in October, the head of Ofgem said as charity National Energy Action warned the hike will plunge households into a “deep, deep crisis”.