Holly covers personal finance topics from credit cards to wills. She enjoys turning complex money matters into clear, practical advice.
The number of people divorced in retirement has trebled in recent decades, according to new analysis by pensions consultancy LCP.
And the rate of poverty among this group has started rising too.
The findings underscore concerns about how pensions are shared on divorce and the financial precarity many divorced retirees face, especially women.
Separately, a survey of Which? Connect members found that few couples talk about what would happen to their pensions if they divorced or separated.
Here, we explore what’s happening to poverty rates among divorced retirees and explain what you need to know about pensions on divorce.
LCP's analysis of Office for National Statistics data found that, as of 2024, there were 1.5 million divorced people aged 65+ in England and Wales, up from around 500,000 in 2002. The report highlighted that the poverty rate among this group is also rising.
While poverty rates fell for all pensioners between the 1990s and early 2010s, they have been steadily rising since then: figures previously published by DWP show that overall pensioner poverty rose from 15.7% in 2012/13 to 18.6% in 2023/24.
And LCP's analysis found that this rise has been largely driven by an increase in poverty amongst single pensioners.
Couples have always had lower poverty rates than singles, but the gap has widened in the past 10 years or so. Rates rose particularly quickly for those who never married and divorcees.*
According to LCP’s analysis of government data, the poverty rate among divorced retirees has risen from 20.5% in 2010-2011 to 24.8% in 2024.
This chart shows pensioner poverty rates by marital status, from 1994-95 to 2023-24:
Source: LCP analysis of the Family Resources Survey and DWP Household Below Average Income data. Poverty rate is defined as the number of people in households with income below 60% of the contemporary median and shown as three year moving averages.
Overlooking pensions on divorce tends to leave women at a particular disadvantage.
Women often have lower-value pensions as a result of the gender pay gap and time out of the workplace due to caring responsibilities. And the longer average life expectancy for women means those reduced pensions may have to go further.
LCP’s analysis found that, as of 2023-24, women make up two thirds of single retirees in poverty, and outnumber men by around two to one among divorced retirees in poverty.
Separate research by Now Pensions and the Pension Policy Institute released earlier this year found that divorced women in the UK typically have £53,160 less in pension savings than divorced men – a gap of around 61%.
Steve Webb, LCP partner, said: Issues such as inadequate pension sharing at the end of a relationship and the continuing gender pension gap mean that women in particular are at higher risk of poverty in old age.
'But there are things we can do about this problem, including encouraging couples to share their pension wealth more easily. We also need to look at social changes such as the growth in cohabitation and understand what these mean for later-life finances.'
Pensions should be considered as part of a divorce settlement along with assets such as property and savings, but they’re often overlooked.
A 2023 study by researchers at Bristol University on how assets are shared in divorce found that only 11% of divorcees with a pension yet to be drawn made an arrangement to share it.
Where pensions not yet in payment were shared, there was an equal split of the participant’s pensions in only 22% of cases.
Researchers found that a lack of awareness and understanding about pensions generally could be part of the problem. A quarter of divorcees surveyed didn’t know if their ex-spouse had a pension, while a third of divorcees who hadn’t started taking money from their pension yet didn’t know the value of their own pot.
But ignorance isn’t the only reason: often, participants expressed a strong sense that pensions belonged to the person who had contributed to them and should stay with them.
LCP cautioned that the move towards no-fault divorces – which were introduced in 2022 – coupled with a quicker and more streamlined online process, could mean more people forgo pension sharing, which can be a messy and time-consuming process.
Understanding how pensions can be shared on divorce is essential for ensuring a fair split and a decent retirement for both parties.
But our March 2026 survey of 1,132 Which? Connect members found that few couples talk about what would happen to their pensions if they broke up.
While half of those who live with a partner said they had discussed what would happen to their pensions and retirement savings if they died, only 3% had talked about what would happen to their pensions if they divorced or separated.
And research by the Money and Pensions Service previously found that only four in 10 UK adults knew that pensions could be included as part of a divorce settlement – including just under half of those who had previously been divorced.
Whether you’re unsure if you have enough to retire, or are already accessing your savings, our money guidance service can talk you through your options. Which? Money members get unlimited access to them via phone.
Find out moreFor many, pensions are their largest assets aside from property.
Pensions should be taken into account alongside assets such as property, savings and investments when coming to a financial agreement with your ex-partner.
The government is currently looking at reforming rules around divorce and separation in England and Wales to ensure a fairer end to relationships. This includes a specific requirement for courts to take pension needs into account when making financial orders, to help prevent pensions from being overlooked.
There are three options for how pensions can be split on divorce, and it’s important to understand how they work.
In Scotland, only pensions that are built up during the marriage or civil partnership are considered.
The rules around pensions and how they can be shared are complex, and seeking professional advice can help ensure a fair split. The Fair Share study found that pensions were more likely to be inadequately addressed when couples didn’t use a lawyer.
Pension on Divorce Experts (PODEs) can value complex pensions and recommend how they can be shared. You’ll need to pay for this service, and you can normally access it via a solicitor.
MoneyHelper provides free and impartial guidance sessions for people going through divorce. Its experts can talk you through your options for splitting pensions and help you access regulated advisers and PODEs.
Our research In March 2026 we surveyed 1,132 Which? Connect members, 758 of whom live with a partner.
*The DWP has recently recalculated pensioner poverty estimates, as some pensioners may not accurately have reported all the benefits they receive. As this data is currently only available for 2021/22 onwards, LCP analysed the previous, unadjusted figures. The authors understand that the overall trend remains broadly accurate and note that the latest DWP data for 2024/25 shows, if anything, an even bigger issue of poverty among single pensioners.
Select the option that best describes your current situation.
