Overview
- The Scottish Widows Women and Retirement Report published on 10 November finds 33% of women and 30% of men are projected to retire below Pension UK’s minimum income standard of £13,900 a year for a single person.
- The report says women’s median projected retirement income rose to £14,500 in 2026, narrowing the gap with men to £3,800 from £6,000 in 2025, with state pension gains and other savings cited as main drivers.
- Scottish Widows combined YouGov survey data of more than 5,200 adults with its modelling and Lloyds/Scottish Widows customer data to produce the findings and projections.
- The insurer highlights structural causes that start early in working life, noting 14% of women under 30 earn below the roughly £10,000 threshold for automatic pension enrolment and younger women contribute less to workplace pensions than men.
- Scottish Widows sets out four policy and employer priorities—using scheme data to spot gaps, addressing pensions in divorce, boosting early financial education, and improving digital engagement—to speed change and protect people through life events such as caring, menopause, and relationship breakdowns.