Taking a career break, changing jobs, or becoming self employed can all have an affect on your pension. However, there are some flexible options to meet your requirements.

Here are a few things to think about if you want a career break:

1. What about my state pension?
   If you stop making National Insurance payments, or don’t make enough, your state pension could be affected. You may be entitled to pension credits – your local Social Security office can tell you.
2. Can I spend my pension fund if I don’t have any work for a while?
   Your pension fund is not like a savings account – once you put money into it, you can’t get the benefits until retirement age. Read about what a pension is and why to have one in our 'Pension information' box on the right.
3. What affect will a career break have on my pension savings?
   A career break can mean that you won’t make NI contributions for a while, which can affect your basic State Pension. Also, you will probably have to cease membership of any employer's occupational scheme you were a member of. 
4. Can I save in to a pension when I start working again?
   There are plenty of options and flexibility, for example, you may be able to join your new employer’s pension scheme. Read about Occupational Pension Schemes in ‘Your pension choices’ on the right to find out how they work.
5. What if my employer doesn’t have a pension scheme?
   If your employer does not offer a scheme, or if you are self employed, you can start your own pension. Read about  Individual Stakeholder Pensions, Individual Personal Pensions or Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP), in ‘Your pension choices’ on the right to see which one is right for you.
6. So can I use any other savings for my retirement income?
   If you have savings or investments, you could draw an income from them in retirement. To find out more about investment choices read the ‘Using savings and investments’ link on the right.

What next?If you’d like to find out more about what to do if you want a career break, you can either follow the ‘next’ link at the bottom of the page, or, if you prefer you can use the links to information and tools on the right.