- Keep up pension contributions as much as you can
- Consider the fairness of your arrangements as a family
- Make up for the time lost once you get back to work
Building up a big enough pension to retire comfortably is no easy task for anyone, but it's even trickier if you have gaps in your employment history and stop making pension contributions for a few years. This can be especially difficult for women.
In 2023, the average male employee in the private sector eligible for auto-enrolment contributed £2,710 to his pension, against just £1,970 for the average female employee, according to data from the Department for Work and Pensions. Because pension contributions are normally a percentage of salary, this reflects the differences in pay between women and men, including the fact that women are more likely to be in lower paid and part-time jobs.