Cost of living holding back many Londoners from retiring

Seven of the UK’s top 10 areas where people age 65 and over are still working are in London, according to new research.

Newham in east London was the borough with the highest proportion of those who cannot afford to retire, with 31% of residents over the age of 65 remaining in employment.

The region with the lowest rate of seniors still working was Newcastle Upon Tyne, where just 4% of those aged 65 and over are still working, according to the data from later life mortgage specialist Bower Home Finance.

Top 10 areas with highest percentage of over-65s in employment

The national average for people aged 65 and over still working was 11.7%.

Across several northern regions, the percentage of seniors still working was far lower than the national average, reflecting areas where living costs are lower and retirement remains within reach for higher numbers.

Wakefield in Yorkshire and the Humber and Sunderland (also in the North East) both had just 5% of seniors still in employment.

Geoff Charles, CEO of Bower Home Finance, said: “The contrast between London and cities in the North is striking – it really shows how uneven the picture has become. In many London boroughs, the high cost of living means older residents simply can’t afford to stop working, even well into their late sixties and seventies.

“With nearly a third of over-65s still in employment in some parts of the capital, it’s clear that retirement is becoming harder to achieve for many. It’s sad to see that something as simple as where you live can decide whether you get to slow down and enjoy retirement or not.”

• Bower Home Finance analysed NOMIS employment data for people over the age of 65 across local authorities with more than 250,000 residents.