Rising state pension age 'helps women maintain brain function and avoid disability in their 60s'
Research by the respected Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found the effect was particularly pronounced for those who were single or had active jobs.
However, hanging on longer in sedentary work can be 'actively harmful' for physical mobility.
The paper, published in the Labour Economic Journal, considered the impact of the government continuing to push up the state pension age.
That has led to some people delaying retirement and remaining in paid work for longer - with so-called 'WASPI' women furious that they were not given adequate warning.
The team investigated the increase in employment of women aged 60–63 between 2010 and 2017 in England.
Using data from a long-term survey, they concluded that working longer 'substantially' boosted performance on two cognitive tests.
The survey featured people being read 10 words and asked to repeat them immediately, and then again five minutes later.
On the 'immediate' test working women were found to remember 0.4 to 0.7 extra words, while for the delayed test it was 1.4 to 1.7 additional words
The IFS said the effect was more pronounced for single women, which was 'consistent' with work being an 'important source of social interactions'.
There were also 'large' improvements in measures of physical disability, with walking speeds higher and lower reports of mobility problems.
But the report stressed that the effects depended heavily on the kinds of work women undertook, with sedentary occupations seen to reduce walking speed.
David Sturrock, Associate Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies and an author of the research, said: 'The government continues to increase the state pension age, with an increase from 66 to 67 starting in April next year.
'As a result, many people face a longer working life. While increasing the state pension age reduces state pension spending, thought needs to be given to the effect that later retirement can have on people's health.
'Our research shows that paid work can help to maintain cognitive functioning and physical mobility.
'This is particularly true for single women and those whose jobs involve some amount of movement.
'However, not all work is beneficial, with sedentary jobs being actively harmful for physical mobility.
'Whether longer working is good for health also depends on what people will do once they retire – if the government wants to promote health at older ages then encouraging social interaction and physical exercise among retirees would also be beneficial.'
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