Though retired people may have left the workforce, they are hardly unproductive. They contribute countless hours to activities like helping with child-rearing and volunteering, which makes an enormous impact on society.
Carers UK research in 2015 showed that in England and Wales 2 million people aged 50-64 and almost 1.3 million aged 65 or over are carers. Social services and the NHS rely on carers' willingness and ability to provide care and without it they would collapse.
This myth unfortunately contributes to the ageist exclusion of older people from areas of engagement for which many would be well-equipped – such as the 70-year cut off for jurors and magistrates within the law.