Solving the problem of pensions for the self-employed

Stephanie Hawthorne says millions of the UK’s self-employed are being left out of pensions

clock • 11 min read
Some four million of the UK's population are self-employed
Image:

Some four million of the UK's population are self-employed

The powerhouse of the UK economy is its forgotten army of self-employed workers. Yet little has been done, for the most part, to improve their dismal retirement prospects. Omitted from the UK’s 2012 pension reforms some 3.5 million self-employed people of working age shockingly save nothing in a private pension. They are left out in the cold.

Yet auto-enrolment (AE) has boosted workplace pension participation among employees earning more than £10,000 a year to a record four in five of the population. By contrast, only one in five of ...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Pensions

Become a Professional Pensions Lite Member today

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis and opinion from the industry
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our two daily news alerts
  • Hear from industry experts and other forward-thinking leaders

Are you a trustee, investment consultant or in-house pension and benefit scheme professional? You can apply for full complimentary access here

Join now

 

Already a Professional Pensions
member?

Login

More on Industry

Professional Pensions: Stories of the week

Professional Pensions: Stories of the week

TPT CDC solution, PASA dashboard guidance, £83m buy-in deal

Professional Pensions
clock 14 August 2026 • 1 min read
AMNT calls for mandatory member representation on scheme boards

AMNT calls for mandatory member representation on scheme boards

Body says members’ voices remain ‘almost silent’ in current DC and CDC arrangements

Martin Richmond
clock 13 August 2026 • 3 min read
Taxable pension withdrawals pass £75bn for under-65s

Taxable pension withdrawals pass £75bn for under-65s

Analysis finds 2.4 million have now taken their first taxable payment below the age of 65

Alex Levy
clock 13 August 2026 • 2 min read
Trustpilot