Half of Retirees Retire Earlier Than Planned

According to a survey published in April by Just Group and conducted by Opinium, of 1,043 UK retired and semi-retired adults aged 55 and over that had retired early, 47% stopped working earlier than they had planned.

It is not clear if the coronavirus has played a part in the pension decision making process.

The survey results show the main reasons why the decision to retire earlier than expected was made:

• 33% due to ill health or physical impairment
• 25% my pension and savings were enough to afford to stop work
• 15% due to redundancy/lost their job and couldn’t find another
• 14% other
• 8% to provide care for a family member
• 2% partner worked longer so no longer needed my income
• 2% an inheritance meant I could afford to stop working

Comment

We have to say covid-19 and lockdown has changed our own views on career, life and what makes us happy and we assume it has been the same for the public as a whole.  That said, figures are still not strong enough to link coronavirus to early retirement and lifestyle changes.