Part one of the 2026 Scottish Widows Retirement Report focuses on the nation’s readiness for their financial future and brings together new evidence on how prepared the UK is in a period of economic change, rising living costs and health challenges. Drawing on our National Retirement Forecast - which looks at the retirement lifestyles different groups are on target for - the report explores who is most at risk of falling short in retirement, why these risks persist and what could make the greatest difference over time.
The findings highlight both the scale of the challenge and the policy choices that will shape future retirement outcomes.
Planning your future in a changing world
Scottish Widows CEO Chira Barua introduces the first part of Scottish Widows’ Retirement Report 2026, examining financial pressure, health and...
Summary and policy recommendations
In this video, Pete Glancy, Head of Pensions Policy at Scottish Widows, outlines the key findings from the Retirement Report...
National Retirement Forecast
New National Retirement Forecast data shows 12.2 million people still face pension poverty in the UK despite recent improvements.
Scenario Modelling: Time to increase default contribution rates?
New modelling compares higher pension contributions with working longer, showing that contribution increases deliver for savers.
Living for today versus saving for tomorrow
New research examines how short‑term financial pressures influence retirement saving decisions, particularly for vulnerable groups.
Health, saving & retirement
Health challenges are affecting people’s ability to work, manage money and save for retirement, increasing long‑term risk.
Recommendations
In our policy recommendations we call for changes to auto-enrolment to benefit more workers, including self-employed people, and closer links...
