Women must pay more into private pension schemes and save for their retirement, the government has warned.
Less than a third (30%) of women retire on a full state pension, compared with 85% of men, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Pensions minister James Purnell said: “The worrying reality is that if women don’t make their own saving a priority, they could find themselves worse off in retirement than they expect.”
About 38% of women pay into a private pension compared with 46% of men, and women generally save less, said the DWP.
Purnell said politicians could not tackle the pensions gender gap on their own.
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Women’s minister Meg Munn said women were more likely to find themselves worse off financially.
“Women who are not saving could see the independence they currently enjoy replaced with financial dependence on the state in retirement,” she said.
