Covid-19 to delay 1.5m workers’ retirements

Published on

1.5 million workers aged 50+ say they will delay their retirement as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new research from Legal & General Retail Retirement.

However, the retirement provider has suggested that worried households could benefit from a review of their savings before assuming they will need to delay.

According to the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics, the number of workers aged above 65 years is at a record high of 1.42 million. However, if people change their retirement plans in response to the pandemic, this could increase, L&G said.

One in six people aged over 50 and in work (15%) believes that they will delay, while 26% anticipate having to keep working on a full or part-time basis indefinitely, due to the impact of the virus.

On average, those who plan to delay their retirement expect to spend an additional three years in work. However, 10% admit they could delay their plans by 5 years or more.

These figures are significantly higher for the 26% of over 50s workers who have been furloughed or seen a pay decrease as a result of the pandemic. One in five of these workers will delay (19%) and 38% expect to work indefinitely. 

Chris Knight, CEO of Legal & General Retail Retirement, said: “The financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic seems to be particularly pronounced for people aged over 50 who are still in work. While some people will choose to work for longer, or indefinitely, the key consideration when it comes to this research is that it seems this decision has been driven by the financial impact of the pandemic, rather than personal choice.

“We know this is a key stage in people’s retirement planning so seeing a material impact on your household income will naturally lead to pessimism about achieving your retirement goals. While it would be naïve to say that these financial issues will not have an impact on people’s ability to retire, it’s important for people to have a strong understanding of the options available to them before concluding that their retirement needs to be delayed or forgotten indefinitely.”

Latest POLL

COMMENT ON MORTGAGE SOUP

We want to hear from you!
Leave a comment and get the conversation started.
You need to register to post, so please login or sign up below.

Latest articles

Square 1 Media announces May Mortgage Market Debate

Square 1 Media is to hold its next Mortgage Market Debate on Wednesday, 21 May,...

Coventry BS maintains status as one of the best workplaces

Coventry Building Society has been named one of Great Place to Work's UK’s Best...

Atom bank breaks Near Prime record

Atom bank has reported another record-breaking month for Near Prime activity. Over the course of...

Berkeley Alexander appoints new BDM

General insurance provider Berkeley Alexander has announced the appointment of Grant Robinson as a...

Other news

Lenders must step up on high LTV products

Things are on the up for borrowers with a smaller deposit. The financial information...

Square 1 Media announces May Mortgage Market Debate

Square 1 Media is to hold its next Mortgage Market Debate on Wednesday, 21 May,...

Coventry BS maintains status as one of the best workplaces

Coventry Building Society has been named one of Great Place to Work's UK’s Best...