.... When MrsP was retiring our work sent her on pre-retirement training days. She reckons those would have helped me but I couldn't be ersed to go at the time.
They used to do a 3 day retirement course in my old job.
You could take your wife with you and they'd put you up in a decent hotel. There would be lots of good advice from various specialists to help you adjust financially, emotionally and physically.
All that went out the window about 3 years before I left due to budget cuts.
I had absolutely no support regarding retirement advice and no contact with senior management until my last day, when I had a phone call from my area supervisor about an hour before I left. I didn't even have anything in writing confirming my personal pension payments, despite several attempts to get it. I knew how much I was entitled to, but couldn't get it in writing. It was only confirmed when the first payment was made a month later. I sweated on that a bit, I can say!
They did let me have the afternoon off though, to clear my desk.
After 30 years, I finished on the afternoon and just walked away. My immediate line manager, who was a great bloke and a real friend, was disgusted at the way I had been treated.
Civil Service? My arse!