The ONS defines as a household that has at least three quarters of its total income provided by the state pension or other similar pension-related state benefits
The number of households who are largely dependent on just their state pension for their retirement income has been revealed.
Analysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) data from retirement specialist Just Group has found around 740,000 single retirees and 500,000 retired two adult households – more than 1.2million people in total – are “mainly reliant” on the state pension.
The ONS defines as a household that has at least three quarters of its total income provided by the state pension or other similar pension-related state benefits.
The state pension is far below what is considered needed for a good standard of living in retirement. The Retirement Living Standards from Pension UK suggest a single pensioner needs a yearly income of around £13,400 to achieve a “minimum” standard of living.
The full new state pension is worth £230.25 a week, leaving a £1,427 shortfall over the year for a “minimum” standard of living in retirement.
David Cooper, director at retirement specialist Just Group, said: “The data from the ONS highlights the significant number of pensioners who are mainly dependent on the state pension and other benefits to support them throughout retirement.
“Pension UK’s minimum income standard is nearly £1,500 higher per year than the current state pension and demonstrates the gap that hundreds of thousands of retirees need to bridge to achieve a minimum standard of living.
“For many of these people it is not be feasible for them to find employment, leaving them with little choice but to tighten their budgets by nearly £119 a month. One way people may be able to bridge the retirement income gap is by checking if they are entitled to additional benefits.
“For many, this extra income could significantly improve retirement living standards, so it’s vital people check if they’re eligible for unclaimed support.”
The state pension rises every year in line with the triple lock. The triple lock guarantees the state pension increases every April in line with whichever is the highest of earnings growth between May to July, inflation in September, or 2.5%.
This year, the state pension will rise by 4.8% from April 2026, in line with wage growth. The full new state pension will increase from £230.25 a week to £241.30 a week. The old basic state pension will rise from £176.45 a week to £184.90 a week.
Anyone retiring now will claim the new state pension and you normally need 35 years of National Insurance contributions to get the full amount.
