16 February 2010
According to a Prudential survey, the gap between the pension
income of men and women is widening. A man who retires in 2010 will
receive an average retirement income of £19,593, compared to
£12,169 for a woman. The difference of £7,424 has
increased by £782 since a year ago.
The gap has existed owing, in part, to the career break taken by
many women to have children, although pension incomes in general
have been falling. This was the result, in recent times, of
investments not performing as well and people living longer.
The drop has been particularly pronounced for women, with
somebody retiring in 2010 set to receive 11 per cent less than a
retiree a year earlier. This compares with a drop of 3.5 per cent
for men.
