Young People in the UK: Can You Afford to Put Money into a Pension Scheme?
The Guardian has launched a community feature inviting UK residents under 30 to share their experiences about paying into a pension scheme, including reasons for not contributing. The feature aims to gather personal insights to inform a broader story on pensions rather than serving as a policy or research report.
The request for responses highlights existing financial pressures facing young people, such as approximately 150,000 individuals holding student loan debt exceeding £100,000. Furthermore, renters spend an average of 36.3% of their income on rent, compounded by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, all of which impact the ability to save for retirement.
Respondents are encouraged to describe how factors such as taxation, student loan repayments, rent, and living costs affect their pension contributions. Additionally, participants are invited to share their views on retirement. The submission process allows for anonymity, with encrypted data accessible only by The Guardian and deleted when no longer needed.
The submission form requires contributors to provide their name, location, a short biography, and optionally a photo. Participants can decide whether to have their contributions published and choose their preferred method of contact, including optional phone or email details.
This community feature was published and last updated on 31 December 2025 by The Guardian.
