Inflation proof your retirement income warns Standard Life

Standard Life is warning anyone thinking about retirement to consider the effects of inflation eroding their income.  New data released by the savings and investments specialist shows that many people could see their retirement income swallowed up by the basic costs of living within seven years, as the effect of inflation impacts their spending power.

Using Office for National Statistics data and official Government inflation figures, Standard Life has calculated that someone with a pension pot of £80,000, buying a level annuity, will spend their entire monthly income (from private and state pensions) on basic living costs like food and fuel within just 7 years of retirement.

John Lawson, Head of Pensions Policy at Standard Life said: "The cost of living is rising fast for most people in the UK, but this can be particularly acute for pensioners.  Their spending habits are driven by commodities such as food and fuel bills and these inflation rates are much higher than the overall UK inflation rate.

"People need to consider how to protect their buying power in retirement from the ravages of inflation over a long period of time, which could be 30 years or more.  If pensioner inflation remains at around 6% a year, people with a fixed income could lose almost half of their spending power within a ten year period.

"There are many options to consider at retirement which could minimise the impact of inflation on your income, so seeking professional financial advice is vital."