Pensions - Articles - Women continue to narrow the state pension gap

 In November 2021 1.5m women received less than £100 per week in state pension. In November 2020 that figure was 1.67m.

 For men, 448,082 received less than £100 per week in state pension compared to 465,479 in November 2020.

 DWP has released the latest state pension figures to Nov 2021: DWP benefits statistics: May 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 Helen Morrissey, senior pensions and retirement analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown: “The state pension gap is still narrowing, with the amount women receive continuing to rise. The introduction of the new state pension in 2016 has significantly boosted the amount women receive and we are seeing a big drop in the number of women receiving less than £100 per week in state pension. As more women retire into the new state pension system we should see incomes continue to grow and the introduction of auto-enrolment will see many more women further build their retirement resilience with a workplace pension.

 It is hugely important women focus on building their own retirement wealth. The new state pension does not allow you to inherit state pension entitlement from a spouse in the same way the old system did, and so women’s state pension is based on your individual national insurance record. Similarly, it can be tempting to rely on a spouse’s workplace pension provision if it is particularly generous, but in the case of separation or divorce many women may find themselves approaching retirement with little in the way of pension income.

 The state pension forms the backbone of peoples’ retirement planning. Under the current system you need ten years’ worth of national insurance (NI) credits to qualify for a state pension and 35 years’ worth to qualify for the full amount. Women can often struggle to reach the full amount because they spend time out of the workforce looking after families. However, claiming state benefits during these times can mean you can still claim NI credits and build your entitlement.”