Half of Brits 'are off target with pension savings'

Fewer than half of Britons – 45 per cent – are currently saving enough for their old age, according to the annual Scottish Widows Pensions Report.

The survey of 5,200 UK adults found that, whereas the average amount of annual income that most Britons believe they need in retirement has topped £25,000 for the first time, the actual income people are heading for is way short of that at an average of £11,400.

Tom McPhail, pensions expert at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "For a whole generation in their 40s and 50s now, it is probably already too late. They are going to have to work to 70 or beyond before they can afford to retire. This doesn't mean they shouldn't save for retirement, it just means they need to reset their expectations."