Women’s private pension funds are 35% lower than men’s, according to the UK government’s official estimates.

Private pensions consist of workplace schemes or personal pensions set up by individuals using independent companies.

Taking time off or going part-time means paying less into pensions during your working life.

A charity said employers should do more to support women with caring responsibilities.

Rowan Davies, 34, from Cardiff, is currently on maternity leave while caring for her five-month-old son Mabon.

She said she was “very aware” of the pensions issue, and so she is planning to return to work in six months.

“Finances and the household income is a big factor in many conversations me and my husband have about now and the future,” she said.

Mrs Davies said her own mother was able to retire early, “so she’s always driven home the importance of having an occupational pension”.

“There’s lots of information out there”, she added. “But I feel like a lot of it is information you’ve got to go and find, as opposed to being presented to you at a good time.”

Gretchen Betts, managing director of Magenta Financial Planning, said it was often a big life event that made people think about how they were going afford life in retirement.

“Especially in the case of divorce or bereavement where maybe, stereotypically, the man has taken the lead in financial decisions, it really highlights a gap around literacy for a lot of women,” she said.

Ms Betts said the earlier people think about saving for the future the better, but it was “never too late”.

She said a good rule of thumb was trying to save 10% of income for retirement, but noted it was not always possible.

Judith Jeeves, 63, said it was the loss of her family that made her think about how to fund early retirement.

“My brother died at 56 and my mum and husband died within two years,” said Mrs Jeeves, from Shwt, Bridgend county.

“It started before Covid came in, but Covid consolidated it and I thought you know what, there’s more to life than work.

“That might sound a bit privileged of me but I want to be able to do things while I’m fit and healthy.”

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