The gender pension gap – what is it and what does it mean for you? Information session for businesses and social groups
At Southgate Wealth Management, we have created an information and Q&A session to help businesses, networking or social groups better understand the gender pension gap — an issue gaining increasing attention across government and the media.
The gender pension gap is the difference in average retirement income between men and women. The gap was reported in 2025 to be 36.5% across all pensions, 45% in Civil Service pensions, and 48% in private pensions.1
The 2026 Women’s Budget Group Women and Pensions in the UK briefing2 reported that, on average, men hold around £155,000 in private pension wealth, while women have nearly £88,000.
While the gender pay gap (6.9% on average in 2025, down from the 7.1% reported in 2024 according to the Office of National Statistics in 2025)3 has been widely discussed since mandatory reporting was introduced in 2017, the gender pension gap is less frequently discussed, despite the potentially significant long-term impact for women.
Behind these figures lie lifetime gendered patterns of work and pay. The result? Many women could retire on less income than men. They may choose to work longer to achieve a similar retirement income to men or may want to understand ways to plug the gap.
Our one-hour bookable sessions explore:
• how gendered working patterns influence pension savings
• the long-term impact of career breaks
• practical information to help you take control of your retirement income
Accessible, engaging and suitable for workplaces, networking or social groups, the presentation and Q&A can be delivered in person or online, with opportunities to book one-to-one follow up sessions later.
By encouraging informed conversations today, we can help people make better financial decisions for tomorrow.
If you are interested in booking a session for your business, organisation or group— or if you would simply prefer a one-to-one discussion — please get in touch to find out more.
Although the content of the article was correct at the time of writing, the accuracy of the information should not be relied upon, as it may have been subject to subsequent tax, legislative or event changes.The value of an investment with St. James's Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select and the value can therefore go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invested.
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Sources of information:
1In December 2025, Prospect trade union wrote to Cabinet Office Minister Anna Turley calling for urgent action to tackle the Civil Service gender pension gap, which they reported: “stands at 45%, higher than the UK average of 36.5%”.
The Dept. for Work and Pensions published in its 21 July 2025 official statistics, Gender Pensions Gap in Private Pensions: 2020 to 2022 report: “the [private] Gender Pension Gap (GPeG) is estimated at 48%”.
2 Women’s Budget Group, 28 January 2026, UK policy briefing.
https://www.wbg.org.uk/publication/women-and-pensions-in-the-uk/
3 Office for National Statistics (ONS), 23 October 2025, ONS website, statistical bulletin, Gender pay gap in the UK.
