Scottish Widows has launched a digital game designed to help younger audiences understand financial products and make informed decisions about their future.
Called 'Chart Your Own Future', it was released on 10 November 2026 and assigns players a persona based on their answers, helping them explore their financial options.
The launch accompanies Scottish Widows' 2026 Women and Retirement Report, which says women's projected retirement outlook is at its strongest since the National Retirement Forecast began three years ago.
But the improvement has not removed inequalities that can affect women's pension savings from the beginning of their working lives.
Scottish Widows Report Highlights The Pension Gap
Women's projected median annual retirement income has risen to £14,500, an increase of £1,500 on the 2025 projection. The comparable figure for men is £18,300, leaving an annual gap of £3,800, down from £6,000 last year.
The report finds that 27% of women are on track for a comfortable retirement, while 33% risk retirement poverty. Overall, 65% are projected to achieve no more than a minimum retirement standard, underlining how many remain short of a secure later life.
The disadvantages can emerge much earlier. Analysis of Lloyds Banking Group and Scottish Widows customer data found that 14% of women under 30 earn below the £10,000 automatic enrolment earnings threshold, compared with 9% of men.
33% UK women risk falling below the minimum amount needed in their later years.
— Prem Sikka (@premnsikka) November 10, 2026
Still no equality.
Women punished for being child rearers and unpaid adult carers.
Pushed into low paid, insecure jobs.
Govt considering ending pension triple lock.https://t.co/GlwlednFZL
That threshold is one condition for automatic enrolment, alongside age and other eligibility rules. Workers who are not automatically enrolled can still ask to join a workplace pension, and employer contributions may be due in some circumstances.
Among 22 to 25-year-olds with a Scottish Widows workplace pension, 71% of women contribute 10% or less of their pay, compared with 64% of men.
Lower earnings and smaller contributions can leave less time and money to build pension savings, particularly when work or caring responsibilities interrupt a career.
Scottish Widows Turns To Digital Tools To Encourage Early Saving
The company says it has developed digital content for its app and website to help young audiences navigate financial products that can seem complicated. 'Chart Your Own Future' is its latest initiative, using players' answers to assign a persona and explain financial options.
The game is part of a wider effort to make pensions easier to understand. Scottish Widows has not presented it as a substitute for financial advice or a guarantee of better retirement outcomes.
Its report found that women aged 18 to 34 who find retirement tools helpful are almost twice as likely to expect to maintain their standard of living in retirement as those who use none. The figures were 38% and 19% respectively.
That comparison measures expectations, not actual retirement results. It does not show that using a digital tool causes someone to save more or achieve a higher income.
Susan Hope, Retirement Expert at Scottish Widows, said the pension gap takes root from a woman's first job. She argued that closing it requires more than better awareness and called for changes to the systems shaping women's financial futures.
Scottish Widows has outlined priorities for government, employers and pension providers. These include identifying pension gaps early, protecting savings during career changes, improving pension support during divorce and strengthening financial education.
The company also wants better support for women facing parental leave, menopause, illness and relationship breakdown, which can disrupt pension contributions. It says employers and policymakers should help women protect their savings through these life changes.
