The research in this article comes from two surveys: one published in February 2026 and one in February 2025. Pension rules and figures were checked in October 2026.

Self-employed workers are more than twice as likely as employees to think they'll never be able to retire, according to research published by Annuity Ready in February 2026. It was based on a OnePoll survey of 2,000 UK adults carried out in December 2025.

Sarah Lloyd, CEO of Annuity Ready, said: "Self-employed workers face a double disadvantage. Not only do they miss out on employer contributions—effectively free money that compounds over decades—but they're also navigating retirement planning with far less information and support tailored to their circumstances."

Why self-employed workers' pensions work differently

Employees are automatically enrolled into a workplace pension, and their employer pays in too. Self-employed people aren't automatically enrolled, so there are no employer contributions. Any pension saving is up to them.

• Personal pensions. Self-employed people can pay into a personal pension, such as a self-invested personal pension (SIPP) or a stakeholder pension. Contributions get tax relief in the same way as for employees (see "Tax relief" below).

• State Pension. Self-employed people build up State Pension through National Insurance. If your profits are £7,105 or more in 2026/27 (the small profits threshold), Class 2 contributions are treated as paid, so the year counts towards your State Pension without you paying them. If your profits are lower, you can choose to pay voluntary Class 2 contributions of £3.65 a week to protect your record.

Earlier research: Gen X and retirement

In February 2025, the campaign Get Britain Pension Ready, launched by Annuity Ready, published research on how prepared different generations feel for retirement. It was based on a OnePoll survey of 2,000 UK adults carried out in December 2024.

It found that 28% of Generation X (born roughly 1965 to 1980) felt on track to meet their retirement savings targets, compared with 50% of Gen Z, 47% of Millennials and 37% of Baby Boomers. Among Gen X respondents:

• 17% said they were worried they would never be able to fully retire

• 45% said final salary (defined benefit) pensions were available at their employer when they started work, and 65% said these were no longer available to them

• 30% said automatic enrolment came too late to make a difference to them

Final salary pensions pay a guaranteed income for life, based on salary and years of service. Many private-sector employers closed these schemes to new members from the late 1990s onwards. Automatic enrolment began in October 2012 and was phased in for all employers by 2018. By then, many Gen X workers had already been working for 20 years or more.

Ways to check and build your retirement savings

Check your State Pension forecast. You can check your State Pension forecast on GOV.UK. It shows when you can claim, how much you may get and whether you have gaps in your National Insurance record.

• The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week (£12,548 a year) for 2026/27.

• You usually need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance to get the full amount, and at least 10 to get any.

• Years when you were caring for children or claiming certain benefits may count through National Insurance credits.

If you have gaps, you can usually pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for the previous six tax years. The extended deadline for gaps going back to 2006 ended on 5 April 2025. A top-up doesn't always increase your pension, so check your forecast or contact the Future Pension Centre first.

Find lost pensions. The Pensions Policy Institute estimated in 2024 that around 3.3 million pension pots, worth £31.1bn, had been lost track of. The free Pension Tracing Service can help you find contact details for old schemes. Read more: how to find a lost pension.

Understand your workplace pension contributions. If you're aged 22 to State Pension age, earn at least £10,000 a year and haven't opted out, you'll be enrolled into a workplace pension. The minimum contribution is 8% of your qualifying earnings (earnings between £6,240 and £50,270 in 2026/27). Your employer must pay at least 3%, and you pay the rest, including tax relief. Some employers pay more, or match extra contributions up to a limit.

Tax relief. How you get tax relief depends on the scheme:

• In net pay schemes and salary sacrifice arrangements, contributions are taken before tax.

• In relief at source schemes, the provider adds basic-rate relief (20%) to your contribution, and higher-rate taxpayers can claim more through Self Assessment.

You get tax relief on personal contributions up to 100% of your UK earnings, within an annual allowance of £60,000 in 2026/27. Contributions over the allowance may face a tax charge unless you can use unused allowance from the previous three tax years (carry forward). The allowance is lower for some people with adjusted income over £260,000. It drops to £10,000 a year for money purchase pensions once you've started taking money flexibly from a pension.

Timing your workplace pension. You can normally access a defined contribution pension from age 55, rising to 57 from 6 April 2028. Leaving it invested for longer gives it more time to grow, though investments can fall as well as rise. If you're still working, pension income is added to your other income for tax.

Deferring your State Pension. If you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016, your State Pension goes up by 1% for every nine weeks you defer, which is about 5.8% for a full year. At the 2026/27 full rate:

• deferring for nine weeks adds about £125 a year

• deferring for 52 weeks adds about £725 a year

The extra amount is uprated each year and is taxable. Deferring may not increase your income if you receive certain benefits, such as Pension Credit. Read more about the pros and cons of deferring your State Pension.

State Pension age is rising

State Pension age began rising from 66 to 67 in 2026:

• People born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 reach it at 66 plus between 1 and 11 months.

• People born between 6 March 1961 and 5 April 1977 reach it at 67.

Under current law, it's due to rise to 68 for people born after 5 April 1977. The government is reviewing the timetable. Check your State Pension age on GOV.UK.

Free guidance

MoneyHelper offers free, impartial pension guidance. If you're 50 or over and have a defined contribution pension, you can book a free Pension Wise appointment.

These options may not suit everyone and depend on your circumstances and your scheme's rules. This article is for general information only and isn't financial advice.