Pensions plug

At last the government has woken up to that fact that very few women clock up a working life of 39 years. That’s how many qualifying years are currently needed for a full basic state pension. But taking career breaks to have children make it impossible for many women in the UK. In fact, only one-third manage it.

So the Department of Work and Pensions said this week that women can buy back the missing years at a reduced rate. Over half a million women will benefit from the change if they act quickly. It won’t plug the female pension gap completely but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

Find out more here.