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Open Access 01-12-2023 | COVID-19 | Original Investigation

Changes in retirement plans in the English older population during the COVID-19 pandemic: The roles of health factors and financial insecurity

Authors: Claryn S. J. Kung, Jingmin Zhu, Paola Zaninotto, Andrew Steptoe

Published in: European Journal of Ageing | Issue 1/2023

Abstract

Over the course of 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted lives globally. In the UK, unemployment rate continued to increase during and post-lockdown periods, and job security and financial wellbeing deteriorated. It is important to understand whether individual decisions related to retirement plans have changed systematically as a result of the pandemic, especially among older adults who experienced greater rates of pandemic unemployment. Using the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, this article examines changes in retirement plans of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and estimates the impact of health and financial circumstances on these changes. In June/July 2020, 5% of 2095 participants reported planning earlier retirement, while 9% reported planning later retirement. We found that poor self-rated health and financial insecurity were associated with intentions to postpone retirement. Additional risk of later retirement associated with poor health was detected among those experiencing financial insecurity. In November/December 2020, 7% of 1845 participants reported planning earlier retirement, while 12% reported planning later retirement. We found that poor health was predictive of a lower relative risk of later retirement, while depressive symptomology and financial insecurity predicted a higher relative risk of later retirement. The findings imply a contextual role of health factors in, and a persistent influence of financial insecurity on, retirement planning in the older population.

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Title: Changes in retirement plans in the English older population during the COVID-19 pandemic: The roles of health factors and financial insecurity
Authors: Claryn S. J. Kung
Jingmin Zhu
Paola Zaninotto
Andrew Steptoe
Publication date: 01-12-2023
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Keyword: COVID-19
Published in: European Journal of Ageing / Issue 1/2023
Print ISSN: 1613-9372
Electronic ISSN: 1613-9380
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-023-00770-1

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Changes in retirement plans in the English older population during the COVID-19 pandemic: The roles of health factors and financial insecurity

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