Reality star Gemma Collins has urged the nation to “pay attention” to their pensions after revealing she did not have one – until today.
The 43-year-old TV personality has joined a campaign encouraging people to take stock of the funds they will have later in life.
She told Sky News: “I myself haven’t got a pension. I’m self-employed. I was just like the nation needs to wake up.
“It’s September, we’re all taking stock of our lives again, we’re having that life admin moment and we really need to be paying some attention to our pensions.
“Before we know it, we’re going to be old and we’re not going to have any money.”
The Only Way Is Essex star added: “If I urge the nation to do anything today, it’s to pay some attention to your pension, and that’s coming from me, the GC.”
She explained that she probably had “racked up” some form of automatic pension due to working multiple jobs when she was younger, but she “wasn’t aware of them” until she was approached by the campaign.
“I’m definitely putting in my pension from today, and I’m so excited. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made,” she said.
In a direct message to viewers, Collins added: “There’s a more important pot to think about. I’m talking about your pension pot.”
Pension Attention is an industry-led engagement campaign co-ordinated by the Association of British Insurers and the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association.
A survey for the campaign found just 23% of people have organised their finances for later life.
The campaign is encouraging people to find out if they have any lost pension savings, log into and check pension accounts and consider how much they will need for retirement
Mark Smith, spokesman for the Pension Attention campaign, said: “Most working people in the UK have a pension, but many don’t know how to find information about these savings.
“We’re asking all UK adults to think about where their pensions are, what’s in them and to ensure that things like names and addresses are up to date.”
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