How Much Does a Married Couple Need to Retire in the UK? (2024)

The Retirement Living Standards website advises that a comfortable retirement income for couples in 2024 in the UK is £59,000 per annum. The data also states that the average retirement income for married couples who want to achieve a minimum retirement lifestyle is £22,400. In contrast, a couple needs £43,100 for a moderate lifestyle in retirement.

In this Moneyfarm blog, we look into what would be considered a good retirement income for a couple and how to achieve it.

How much money provides a comfortable retirement income for a couple in 2024 in the UK

According to Which magazine, a comfortable retirement income for a couple in 2020 was £25,000 per annum. They updated it in November 2022 to £28,000, but the RLS figure mentioned above puts the figure significantly higher at £59,000. To make matters even worse, the figures shown above are quoted net, after tax.

Working towards a comfortable pension for a couple in retirement can be difficult, and having a child makes it even more challenging. According to the ONS, in 2022, 42% of couples had more than one child, and 15% had only one.

The average cost of raising a child in the UK is between £150,000 and £180,000. It’s an enormous amount of money, which increases proportionately if you have more than one child.

The figure regarding enjoying a comfortable retirement income for a couple in 2024 in the UK is a constantly moving target. Some say £26,000 a year for a comfortable lifestyle. But given what’s happened with inflation over the past couple of years, let’s say for the moment that the retirement income needed for a couple is £30,000 per annum. It means you need to amass a pension pot of £425,000 and allow for an increase in growth of around 4%.

Setting your financial goals as early as possible is essential, especially if you intend to have children and enjoy a comfortable retirement.

How much does a couple need for a comfortable retirement after tax?

To make the after-tax figures more meaningful concerning how much a married couple needs to retire in the UK, you need to consider the marriage tax allowance, which applies if you are married or in a civil partnership.

To be eligible for marriage tax allowance, the following conditions must apply.

• The gross income of the lowest earner must be below the income tax threshold, which is currently set at £12,750.
• The gross income of the highest earner must be between the basic taxpayer allowance and the higher taxpayer allowance, i.e., between £12,751 and £50,270.

The low earner can transfer £1,260 of their marriage allowance (a little over 10% of their personal tax allowance) to the higher-earning partner.

What is considered a good retirement income for a couple in the UK?

A good retirement income for a couple in the UK gives access to more of a luxury lifestyle. It includes the things you need to enjoy a comfortable or moderate lifestyle, plus being able to fine dine when you eat out, take extended long-haul holidays, and upgrade your car every five years. This comfortable standard of living will likely cost you at least £59,000 per annum after tax. Based on 20 to 25 times this income (an industry-accepted calculation), it means growing a pension pot of between £1.18 million and £1.47 million. To achieve that, you’ll have to do some very serious retirement planning.

The best place to start is by finding out what your workplace pension (if you have one – most people do) will be worth when you retire. You’ll find a practical, user-friendly calculator on the Moneyfarm website.

It may be challenging to track down a retirement calculator for couples. This is because people are pensioned as individuals and not as couples. However, using the pension calculator mentioned above will give you an answer to the “how much do I need for retirement” question as a single person. Running the pension calculator twice – once for you and once for your partner, will give you a reasonable pension estimate in terms of a comfortable retirement income for a couple in 2024 in the UK.

The need for an additional private pension

In all likelihood, to enjoy a comfortable retirement, you’ll probably find that your combined state and workplace pension income total will leave you with a shortfall.

The average amount couples have saved for retirement in their pension pots is woefully short of what it needs to be. The Telegraph reported that according to the ONS, the median average UK pension pot is £32,700. Doubling it for a couple makes it £65,400. The amount varies significantly depending on age and pension type. For 25–34-year-olds, it’s £9,300 (£18,600 for a couple), but for a couple of 55–64-year-olds, it rises to £214,600. It’s well below the figure of £425,000 mentioned earlier.

You’ll likely need an additional pension, which can be a private pension or investment account. Personal (or private) pensions and SIPPs (Self-Invested Personal Pensions) are the two most common pension schemes open to you.

If you are not eligible for a workplace pension because you’re self-employed, you will need a self-employed pension.

Do you need to set up a pension-sharing order?

If you are in the process of divorce or dissolving a civil partnership, setting up a pension-sharing order to establish a fair division of the assets is a good idea. The solicitors handling the divorce or dissolution will determine the financial split, and the court overseeing the proceedings will issue the necessary paperwork to the pension fund providers.

Setting a retirement age

Achieving a comfortable retirement income for a couple in 2024 in the UK is massively influenced by picking a suitable retirement age other than the age at which you will start receiving your state pension. For example, suppose you didn’t initially set up your investment strategy aiming at how to retire at 55 or some other specific age in mind. In that case, checking the progress of your pension and lifetime savings situation is essential.

As you probably know, the current New State Pension is £221.20 per week. For your workplace and private pensions, talk to your employer or pension provider and ask for an updated statement. You may decide to increase your pension contributions to achieve your financial goals and provide a good retirement income as a couple when both retire.

Periodically checking the performance of your pensions and investments

Asking, “What is a comfortable retirement income for a couple in 2024 in the UK?” is a question you should pose from time to time. Interest rates vary, so does inflation, and the world economy has its ups and downs, all of which can affect the performance of your pensions and investments. It’s a good idea to check your investments now and again to allow yourself the opportunity to change things around.

If you have several workplace pensions and they are performing differently than you would have hoped, carrying out a pension transfer review might be worthwhile.

The other thing is that a couple’s financial goals often change as they journey through life together. Helping your children with university fees, recalculating your outgoings once your kids leave home for good, and other things will impact your financial situation. This situation could give you a good opportunity to review your 50s retirement savings status.

If you are worried about what a comfortable retirement income for a couple in 2024 in the UK is and what you need to do about it, you should consider seeking the help of a professional, independent financial adviser.

Finding out too late how much you’ll need to retire could cost you dearly if you’re not on track. Don’t forget that all pension income is taxable. You might consider looking at some tax-free alternatives, such as stocks and shares ISAs.

FAQ

What are some pension tips for couples?

Some retirement tips that can benefit married couples include contributing towards a partner’s pension (especially if one is approaching their lifetime allowance) and limiting large lump sum withdrawals from pension pots. Other tips include taking advantage of inheritance tax benefits on pensions and making sure each spouse has all the information regarding their pensions.

How much does a comfortable retirement income for a couple in 2024 in the UK cost?

It depends on the lifestyle a married couple desires in retirement. Research shows that couples need at least £22,400 per year to have a minimum standard of living that covers all their needs, with some leftover for fun. For a moderate lifestyle with more financial security and flexibility, couples will need £43,100 per year. In contrast, a comfortable pension for a couple, providing more financial freedom and some luxuries, will set you back around £59,000 a year.

*Capital at risk. Tax treatment depends on your individual circ*mstances and may be subject to change in the future.