“Thanks for your service” calling time on women being screwed over in retirement
Millions of women sacrifice earnings because of childcare, leaving them with, on average, a 33% smaller pension pot than men.
14 October 2026
Today, Pregnant Then Screwed launches its new national campaign, “Thanks For Your Service”, exposing how the cost of motherhood follows women into retirement. Millions of mothers sacrifice pension savings because of childcare responsibilities, contributing to a gender pension gap that leaves women with 33% less pension wealth than men.
In retirement, women in the UK receive 33% less on average than men. The system rewards continuous full-time employment while penalising those who reduce or leave work because of caring responsibilities.
A recent YouGov survey found that mothers on low and middle incomes are being forced to make impossible choices between managing childcare costs today and building financial security for tomorrow. When asked why their pension contributions had reduced, 42% said they had little or no choice because of childcare responsibilities.
The cost of caring
The cost of caring doesn’t stop when the working day ends.
Throughout their working lives, women are more likely to work part-time or make career compromises to care for children and other family members. The new data shows that:
- 36% have reduced their working hours because of childcare.
- 28% have taken time out of work after having children.
- 22% have changed jobs to fit around childcare.
- 18% have left work for a period because of childcare.
- 18% have prioritised childcare costs over pension saving.
Only 8% of respondents said they felt in control of their pension savings, while just 5% felt confident about them.
The inequality in pensions is structural. Our pension system is designed to reward people who have continuous full-time employment, and this penalises every woman and parent who leaves or reduces work due to caring responsibilities.
RACHEL GROCOTT · CEO, Pregnant Then Screwed
Rachel Grocott continues: “The high cost of childcare, inflexible working practices and ongoing misogyny which says ‘that’s just the way it is’ all contribute to this inequality. Women live longer, yet they also make up most of the pensioners who are living in poverty. This is a huge kick in the teeth on mums for simply doing the right thing for their family.”
Making it visible
Making an invisible penalty impossible to ignore.
Pregnant Then Screwed’s latest campaign exposes the structural devaluation of women through the UK pension system, turning an invisible financial penalty into a highly visible act of public devaluation.
“Thanks for your service” uses hundreds of giant neon “33% OFF” starbursts to devalue women by the amount they can lose in pension wealth compared with men. Mothers including Cat Simms, Agnes Agyepong, Ashley James, Anna Whitehouse, Victoria Eames, Katie Guild and Alison Perry are backing the campaign.
Placed across billboards, in print, on social media and out on the street, the starbursts turn an abstract statistic into a physical, visual act of devaluation.
The maternity penalty
Women can also have their employee pension contributions miscalculated during maternity leave, resulting in losses of thousands of pounds. The financial impact accumulates quietly and invisibly until decades later, when it shows up as a significantly reduced pension. Pregnant Then Screwed is urging mothers to check their pension contributions during motherhood.
We have spoken to many mums who are telling us the same thing: when they go on maternity leave, their pension contributions are dropping — due to miscalculation of what they’re entitled to. This is a silent punishment that thousands of mums don’t even know is happening, and we want to change that.
RACHEL GROCOTT · CEO, Pregnant Then Screwed
When mums were asked how they feel about their pension savings, responses were dominated by negative or uncertain feelings:
- 40% feel worried.
- 29% feel anxious.
- 26% feel resigned.
- 16% feel overwhelmed.
- 14% feel the situation is unfair.
Only 10% felt proud of what they had put away.
This gender pension gap isn’t something that mums have created; it’s the result of a system that does not value childcare and the true value that mums bring. Mums aren’t bad at saving; they just don’t have any other choice but to sacrifice their future by being there for their children.
RACHEL GROCOTT · CEO, Pregnant Then Screwed
Pregnant Then Screwed is on a mission to help mums navigate this inequality with pension awareness, advice and support so they feel more confident about their future. We need to start by not ripping mothers off when they are on maternity leave, and by ensuring they have the knowledge and confidence to challenge a system that too often blames them as individuals rather than supporting them caring for their families alongside work.
We also need to improve parental leave so that caring responsibilities are shared, and crucially we need to challenge outdated gender stereotypes which say it’s OK for women to have less — because it’s simply not.
About the research
The YouGov survey was completed on 7–8 October 2026 and interviewed a sample of 400 women who were parents and in the lower/middle income bracket.
Campaign credits
Creative Director: Gemma Phillips / @gemmathetallone
Photographer: Sane Seven / @saneseven
Designer: Rachel Many / @alietum.studio
PR: Celia Venables / @shoutybear
Producers: Adrianne Langley / @adriannelangley_ and Gemma Phillips
Studio: Sliced Studios / @sliced.studio
Photography of the OOH: Jenna Hinton / @jennahintonphotography
Print support: @candyandco.uk
DOOH support: Ocean Outdoor and Bauer Media / @oceanutdooruk / @bauermedia.uk
