‘It’s just too much’: Ontario senior unretires to fight high cost of living

Jane Woodcock says when her husband died in 2018, she quickly realized she did not have enough income to support herself and their five animals.

In 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the 68-year-old Woodcock started to see the price of everything rise, leading her to find a job as a cleaner to help cover costs.

The Deseronto, Ont., resident told Global News she’d never imagined she would find herself in this position.

“I thought I’d be retired because my husband died seven years ago and before that I wasn’t working, he was working and supporting both of us and all the animals,” she said.

A 2024 report from Resume Builder found that four in 10 working seniors have unretired.

The report shows that 39 per cent of seniors who are employed have returned to work after retirement, while the other 61 per cent have never retired.

The report says the top reason seniors are returning to work are the cost living increases and insufficient retirement savings.

Woodcock has two dogs, two cats, and a potbellied pig, and says food to feed herself and her pets is getting out of control.

Trending Now

• Spanish locals shoot water at visitors in protests against mass tourism

• Why have gas prices gone up recently, and will they keep climbing?

“Every time I go into the grocery store stuff that I was always buying before; it’s like double the price and just piss me off,” she remarked.

Woodcock estimates she spends $400 a month just for food on the pig, while costs for the other animals also skyrocketed “ridiculously” high.

She has also had to make hard cuts in other areas of her life, like getting rid of cable and being cautious when she runs her heating and air conditioning.

“People should be able to live properly. If you’re hot, you should be allowed to turn on the air conditioner, if you’re cold turn up the heat…. It’s just too much,” she said.

Between her job and survivors pension she gets from her late husband, she has about $4,000 a month to cover expenses but she said between still has a mortgage, to paying for insurance and food that quickly disappears.

“It’s a mix, and it’s still not enough.”

&copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.