A new report by Scottish Widows claims that only 47 per cent of women are saving adequately for their retirement.

In its annual Women and Pensions Report, Scottish Widows suggests that pension contributions and other long-term savings plans are reduced or stopped altogether by a quarter of women when they stop working to have children.

Meanwhile, a third of men admit that their wives are financially dependent on them and further 42 per cent state that their partner does not have any pension plan in place.  

Commenting, Alison Morris, savings expert for Scottish Widows, said: “The many women who pause or stop working altogether because of childcare responsibilities are at a huge disadvantage when it comes to pension contributions.

“We want women to understand the impact that career breaks have on their pensions and encourage them to do what they can to minimise this, such as restarting contributions as soon as they can or by making additional payments before or after they take a break.”

Highlighting the fact that more than half of women aged between 30 and 50 choose to work part-time to spend more time with their families, Ms Morris believes women need “more flexible working practices” to help them juggle their working lives alongside caring for their families. Without these she claims, women will “continue to lag behind men” when it comes to saving for their retirement.

However, the report also shows that over a third of women understand that it is unrealistic to expect their partner’s pension to keep them financially secure when they retire.

But Ms Morris warns that despite many women beginning to realise this, it does not necessarily mean that they have started making contributions to their pension.

“Nothing is ever certain, and while planning for retirement will probably not be a priority for many women they need to start putting themselves first when it comes to planning for their futures,” she added.

© Fair Investment Company Ltd