ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Pensions in the United Kingdom

Imagine that when you grow up, you work really hard for many years and earn a lot of money. But when you become old and cannot work anymore, you still need some money to live your life. A pension is like a special savings account that you put money into when you are working so that when you become old, you have some money to live on.

In the United Kingdom, the government and employers have different pension schemes that people can join. The government scheme is called the State Pension, and it gives you some money every week when you become old. But you have to contribute money to this scheme for a long time before you can get the full amount of money.

Employers also sometimes have their own pension schemes, where they contribute some money towards your pension every month. This can help you save more money for your retirement.

When you retire and start receiving money from your pension, you can choose to take it all at once or to get some money every month or every year. It is important to plan ahead for retirement and think about how much money you will need to live comfortably, so you can save enough in your pension to be able to achieve this.