One in nine women aged 70 and over are still in work, according to new official data –double the figure from just five years ago.

The figures show 5.6% of women stopped working after the age of 70 in 2012 – rising to 11.3% in 2016. Concerns over their future pension income, together with a wish on some women’s parts to remain active, mean that an estimated 150,000 women in the UK are now working into their early 70s and beyond.

The estimated figure for men working into their 70s is 15.5%.

Many women have not qualified for the full State Pension because gaps in their national insurance contributions, but even a full State Pension for those reaching State Pension age before 6 April 2016 is still less than £120.

In addition, fewer women than men have built private or company pensions.

Many older people have been enabled to remain in the workplace by the end of the default retirement age and the willingness of some employers to offer flexible working hours.

Are you a woman in her 70s or beyond who remains in work? Let us have your story…

The big question to be asked is this: can I afford to retire on the amount of money I can expect to receive? If the answer is a resounding no, those able to return to/remain in the workforce should at least be exploring the options available to them – including having conversations with their employer, considering setting up their own business, or cutting their cloth.

To find out if or when YOU can afford to retire, a few minutes spent on RetireEasy LifePlan,  playing through some of the scenarios, will give you all the answers you need to know – even if they are not necessarily the ones you want to hear!