An emerging consensus sees British pension policy as unravelling. Yet the gender impact of expanding private pension provision and relying increasingly on means-testing has been largely overlooked.

This book examines key issues such as:

how pension choices over the lifecourse are structured by gender, class and ethnicity;

the impact of changing patterns of partnership and parenthood on pension building;

the distributional impact of privatising pensions;

questions about individualisation of rights, survivor benefits, a citizen's pension and means-testing;

the EU dimension - comparing alternative strategies for improving gender equity.

The book is essential reading for teachers, researchers and students in social gerontology, sociology, social policy and women's studies; practitioners in social work and welfare rights; policy makers concerned with income in later life; and all those who wish to improve their understanding of pensions issues.