Only 26% of women say they could cope in retirement if they lost a share of their partner’s pension due, for example, to divorce, according to new research.

Some 54% of men said they could cope without a partner's pension income.

The study for Hargreaves Lansdown found that overall 41% of people said they could cope with a partner’s pension loss.

HL says the survey suggests that the break-up of a relationship can lead to one partner missing out on pension income and struggling as a result.

Just over a quarter (27%) of people said they could not cope if they didn’t have a share of their partner’s pension. The remaining third (32%) were unsure.

Helen Morrissey, senior pensions and retirement analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "It’s an issue that disproportionately affects women who already face significant challenges in building up pension provision as they are more likely to spend periods of time out of the workforce caring for family and, when they do return, it is often on a lower paid, part-time basis.”

One of the problems is that pensions are often not discussed in divorce settlements, said Ms Morrissey.

She said: “Pensions are rarely spoken about during divorce proceedings; more emphasis is usually placed on assets such as the main property as people look more towards the more immediate concerns around who lives where rather than looking longer-term.

“However, pensions can be one of the largest assets someone can have and so they should be an integral part of any negotiations.”

She pointed out that it is not uncommon in couples for one partner to take charge of overall Financial Planning, which suggest that involving both partners in all aspects is the best move to protect clients.

• The survey of 1,400 people was carried out by Opinium on behalf of Hargreaves Lansdown in September.