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Pay and conditions

Women's pensions

Women suffer pay inequality during their working lives, which continues to impact upon them in their retirement. A quarter of single female pensioners live in poverty and for every pound of income received by men in a pensioner couple, women receive less than 32 pence.

Link to a document on this siteDownload 'Women and Pensions' in PDF format

Women often retire poorer because:

  • They generally earn less
  • They may have broken work patterns due to caring responsibilities and are less likely to make their full contributions to national insurance
  • They often rely on their partners pension - and circumstances can change
  • Many part-time (women) workers are not members of good final-salary occupational pension schemes.

    The government has already introduced phased retirement for women and those retiring after 2010 will not receive their state pension at age 60.

    Without better changes to the system too many younger women today will face a retirement in poverty. The move from final-salary to money-purchase schemes and proposals to increase public-sector retirement ages will impact on women as much, if not more, as men.

    Along with others, UNISON wants to see:

  • A system which will guarantee every woman an adequate, independent retirement income
  • Removal of the unfair barriers which prevent women receiving a full basic state pension
  • Better opportunities for women to build up higher-value pensions, whether company or personal.

    We are working closely with the Fawcett Society/Age Concern campaign A Fair Deal for Women and further information can be found Link to an external websitehere

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    • Contact details
    • For technical advice.
    • Email: Pensions
    • Write to: Pensions unit, UNISON, 1 Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9AJ
    UNISON, 1 Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9AJ. Telephone: 0845 355 0845.
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