Nearly two-thirds (62%) of self-employed women fail to calculate how maternity leave could affect their long-term retirement savings, according to new research from PensionBee.
Within this group, more than a third (36%) have not given it any thought, while 26% have thought about it but not carried out the calculations. Only 18% say they have completed detailed planning.
PensionBee said almost half (47%) of respondents either reduce their pension contributions or stop saving altogether, significantly above the 36% who maintain the same level of pension contributions while on maternity leave.
Among those who reduce contributions, 28% cite household expenses as the main driver, and 20% point to lower income during maternity leave. Two fifths (40%) say they do not know whether maternity leave will leave them financially behind in retirement, while 37% believe it will.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show the number of women in self-employment in the last quarter of 2025 was at the highest level since mid-2020, with many choosing this path to work around caring responsibilities and to gain flexibility.
Maike Currie, VP personal finance at PensionBee, said: “Maternity leave is one of the moments when the gaps in the pension system become most pronounced – with career breaks the biggest contributing factor to the gender pension gap.
“Most self-employed women want to keep saving, but the combination of lower income, the absence of employer contributions and uncertainty about living expenses and affordability make it challenging.
“The so-called ‘motherhood penalty’ continues to damage women’s long-term pension savings, most notably for the self-employed. There is a growing need to design a system that accounts for irregular income and life events such as maternity leave, with the needed guidance and support to boot. Auto-enrolment is a system designed around the payroll and formal employment, leaving the growing number of self-employed women falling outside of the net.”
Currie said small pension contributions during maternity leave continue to benefit from tax relief and investment growth over time.
“Planning contributions on either side of maternity leave can also make a meaningful difference, and it is important to remember that someone else can still contribute £2,800 into a pension on your behalf, allowing you to benefit from the £720 government tax relief top up,” she added.
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