One child costs a UK mother an average £65,618 in lost pay within five years, then a 48% pension gap later. It is structural, not a choice.
Mike
@mike@social.freedomisntfree.co.uk
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Most people assume the State Pension just turns up in full. It doesn't.
You need about 35 qualifying National Insurance years, and gaps from low pay or caring quietly shrink it.
Check your record now. Some gaps can be topped up, but leaving it late gets expensive.