One in four mothers put pensions on hold

Published on Friday 4 December 2009 20:48

ONE in four women in the UK have put their pension savings on hold to have children, according to research published yesterday.

The fifth annual Scottish Widows Women and Pensions report found that 24 per cent of women stopped making pension contributions and other long-term savings when taking a break from work to have children, with many failing to resume contributions at a later date.

Just 47 per cent of women aged between 30 and 50 return to work full-time after having children, and those that do are more likely to prioritise employers with flexible working practices over those with quality pension schemes.

The survey also revealed that only 47 per cent of women earning more than 10,000 a year are saving adequately for retirement – saving 12 per cent or more of their income – compared with 59 per cent of men.