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You may be saving to give up work without realising it. Here's how to check
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We all know we are supposed to put something away for a rainy day, including our old age, it is just hard to find the money. A recent report suggested more than three-quarters of workers are set to miss out on a moderate standard of living in later life. But there is a simple check you can do now that could put you in a more comfortable financial position when you get older. It will help make sure you don't miss out on free money from your employer. You may even find out you are already saving for your retirement without realising it. Most workers aged 22 and over, and earning more than £10,000 a year (or £192 a week; or £833 a month) should automatically see some of their wages transferred to pension savings. If you've no idea whether that includes you, then experts say: Usually, 5% of your salary will go into a pension savings pot (this is an additional pension pot, separate from what you'll eventually receive in a state pension). If you don't put this money into a pension, it will be taxed, so you will lose some of it anyway. Crucially, your employer will then add money into the pot, the equivalent of at least 3% of your wages. This is money you can only access in retirement, so if money is really tight then you can opt out and have the money in your wages now. But the more money saved and invested now, the more it will grow over time, data shows. You can read more about this so-called automatic enrolment system on the independent MoneyHelper website. The party estimates savings of £100-a-year on average for every household under the scheme. BBC Scotland has heard testimony from people affected by delays in pensions managed by outsourcing firm Capita. Citizens Advice Guernsey says housing and cost of living pressures have increased demand. A Cambridgeshire social enterprise is awarded £400,000 by the National Lottery to help it expand. Experts say cod has turned into "white gold" as the prices keeps going up.