Loneliness more deadly than smoking

London: Pensioners should go back to work because loneliness is more deadly than smoking, according to a senior adviser to the British prime minister.

Strong social relationships in the workplace would actually help people to live longer, David Halpern claimed on Wednesday.

Powerful predictor

Halpern, who advises the Prime Minister on his big society agenda, said that having someone who loves you was a powerful predictor of whether an old person would live for a long time.

In a presentation to a meeting attended by David Cameron, Halpern said: "Work matters — particularly for older people — not just for money but absolutely for social contact.

"We know smoking is really bad for you, but much worse are things like social relationships.

"If you have got someone who loves you, someone you can talk to if you have got a problem, that is a more powerful predictor of whether you will be alive in 10 years time, more than almost any other factor."