Gender Pension Report: Women Receive 50% Less Than Males in Average Pension Fund

Research has revealed a 49 per cent difference between the male and female average pension in the UK, according to the latest review of the Gender Pension Report by the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD).

GAD analysis of the GPS gender pension gap saw that on average, the male pension equated to £8,466 while the average female’s equated to £4,285.

A 46 per cent difference was also seen between actively contributing males and females in legacy accrued final salary benefits, and a 35 per cent difference between male and female actively contributing members post-2014 accrued career average benefits.

Such details have been recorded and reviewed to provide necessary evidence to help develop government policy on the pensions scheme.

Fraser Stewart, Chief Commercial Officer for FinTech platform Lyfeguard, commented: “Pensions are an important aspect of people’s lives due to the sheer amount of time people spend working towards them, so it is vital that there are equal opportunities to earn a fair pension fund for life after work, rather than face a significant gender disparity.”

“More education and effort should be put into pensions, in general, in order to maximise the benefits of these schemes. 52 per cent of Brits struggle with managing important documents such as pensions, according to Lyfeguard’s research, and this can have a knock-on impact for wellbeing, on top of facing stark disparities in gender pension pay.”

The report has also brought more attention to differences within pay, working patterns as well as rates of individuals opting out of LGPS membership.

An analysis by the LGA four years ago across local government employers also noted there was a mean gender pay gap of 6.1 per cent and a median gender pay gap of 4 per cent, further indicating the obstacles women face.

The difference also highlights how females taking career breaks or working part-time significantly impacts upon pay and pension pay – a balance that needs addressing and working upon.