Rock bottom interest rates '˜hitting retirement plans'

Some 23% of workers said their plans have been affected by the Bank of England base rate being held at a record low 0.5%, equating to 7.2 million people if the figures were projected across the UK.

Canada Life Group Insurance found that overall, two-thirds (67%) of UK employees now expect to work beyond the traditional retirement age of 65.

Younger workers are particularly likely to expect to work beyond 65, with 85% of those aged 21 to 30 believing they will do so.

This contrasts with those soon to retire, with just 58% of 61 to 65-year-olds saying they are likely to work beyond the traditional retirement age.

According to analysis from Hargreaves Lansdown, very low interest rates mean people with cash savings have lost out on about £160bn in interest compared with the rates they were receiving in 2008, equating to £6,000 per UK household.

But at the same time, record low mortgage rates have helped home owners to keep their costs down.

More than two million first-time buyers have climbed onto the property ladder while borrowing rates have been generally falling or static.

The new state pension was launched on April 6, to help give people reaching pension age on or after that date more certainty over how much cash they are likely to end up with when they retire.

While the new system promises to be more generous to many people who have been self-employed or have taken time out of work to care for family members, its benefits will diminish for future generations.