The areas of Britain where HALF of adults risk retirement poverty - and what you can do

Across the country, there are people who face having to make cutbacks in retirement as their pension and savings fall short of what they need.

Two in five adults in the UK are set to struggle to meet their basic needs when they stop working, according to new research - but this soars to nearly half in some parts of the country.

Pension provider Scottish Widows and consultancy Frontier Economics analysed multiple data points to find out how the average projected annual pension income for people in different regions stacked up against the cost of a 'basic' retirement.

This includes both the state pension, and any private or workplace pension pots.

According to the Pension and Lifetime Savings Association, a basic retirement costs £13,400 per year for a single person and £21,600 for a couple, living outside of London.

It found that pensioners in the north east of England and Northern Ireland were the most likely to have saved be at risk of retirement poverty, with 48 per cent of people unlikely to meet that figure.

We look at what other regions are most at risk, and what savers can do to plug a pension gap.

The amount of money needed for a comfortable or even moderate retirement has soared in recent years, pushing a pleasant lifestyle out of reach for many.

For a single retiree, a moderate lifestyle will cost £31,700 a year while for a comfortable standard of living this soars to £43,900, according to The Pension and Lifetime Savings Association.

The moderate lifestyle is the middle of the road retirement, covering the essentials plus some splashing out on food and entertainment, and running a car.

A comfortable lifestyle leaves room for a fortnight's holiday abroad, are more spending on things like clothing and meals out.

The cost of a basic lifestyle – which covers the cost of essentials only – has fallen this year to £13,400, thanks to a reduction in the average cost of energy bills.

It means those on the full, new state pension of £11,973 only need a small private pension income to reach a basic lifestyle.

But it's still a stretch for many retirees without a private or workplace pension, as well as those who don't qualify for the full, new state pension.

Couples who want a comfortable moderate or basic lifestyle will need to spend £60,600, £43,900 and £21,600 a year, respectively.

It means a couple both receiving the full, new state pension could achieve a basic lifestyle without any private pension.

In both Northern Ireland and the northeast of England, some 48 per cent of people are at risk of poverty in retirement, according to Scottish Widows.

That means one in every two people are hurtling towards a retirement where they cannot meet their basic costs.

Of course, some workers in these areas will be extremely prepared for retirement. This analysis gives an indication of how people are saving on average.

A high number of pensioners in the south west of England are also at a high risk of not meeting the minimum standard of living, according to Scottish Widows, with 46 per cent at risk of retirement poverty.

In Wales it's 44 per cent while in the 42 per cent in the West Midlands.

Some 41 per cent of pensioners in each of London and the north west are at risk of not meeting their basic needs in their golden years.

Next is Scotland (39 per cent), the East Midlands (36 per cent), Yorkshire and the Humber (34 per cent) and the southeast (34 per cent).

At the bottom end of the scale is the east of England, where just 32 per cent of people are likely to be in poverty in retirement.

But even though the east of England fares best across the country, the numbers make for grim reading as it means one in three people could be unable to have a minimum standard of life.

There are steps you can take to prevent yourself hurtling towards an underfunded retirement.

Susan Hope, retirement expert at Scottish Widows says small savings steps now will make a big difference in the future.

She says: 'The differences between people's pension prospects across the UK are stark and highlight the scale of the challenge to crack the pensions crisis.

'Across towns, cities and rural communities, people are facing very different futures.

'The postcode divide needs to be urgently addressed. We need to equip people with the tools and information they need, to improve their confidence and capability regardless of where they live.

'The everyday pressures on people's money doesn't make this an easy task, so we need to help them to feel empowered to make decisions about their future whether that's starting a pension, increasing contributions by or simply understanding how much you have saved and what that might look like in the future.'

If you do have a workplace pension, it is a good idea to make the most of employer contributions.

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If you contribute 5 per cent of your salary into your workplace pension scheme, your employer will put in at least 3 per cent.

Check if they can pay in more, as some workplaces will match your contributions up to a certain amount.

Another way to boost your income is to check for any lost pension pots. Contact former employers to check on those which may be missing, or use one of the free online services or apps which can do this for you.

Some £31.1billion is currently sitting in unclaimed or inactive pension pots, which could make a significant dent to the retirement poverty crisis.

You can also choose to delay your state pension, if you can continue to work, which will in turn increase the amount you are entitled to.

Your payments are boosted by 5.8 per cent for each year you delay claiming. If you are in good health, this could mean thousands of pounds extra over your retirement, but you would lose out if you don't live as long as expected.