A further 15% of those retiring early did so because of losing their job.

Only one in four people who retired early said they had enough in savings and pensions to retire comfortably, according to research for retirement provider Just.

According to the survey, overall 47% of people stopped working earlier than they had planned.

It's not yet clear from the results what role Covid-19 played in the pension decision-making process.

Among retired people aged 55+ who said they had stopped working earlier than they had expected, one-third (33%) did so due to poor health or physical problems while 15% lost their job and were unable to find another.

Only one in four (25%) stopped working because they felt their pensions and savings were enough that they could afford to retire. A further 2% said they gave up work due to an inheritance and 2% stopped because they no longer needed the income as their partner was still working. Some 8% stopped working to provide care for a family member.

What was the main reason behind your decision to retire earlier than expected?

Source: Just Group Research. Included were those aged 55+ who said they had retired earlier than expected

Stephen Lowe, group communications director at Just Group, said: “Nearly half (47%) of retired over-55s said they had stopped working earlier than they had expected compared to 43% who said they retired when they expected and 9% who retired later. Going forward it will be interesting to track whether Covid-19 has forced more people out of the workforce prematurely or whether the economic insecurity has led to people putting off their retirements for longer.”

• Research was conducted by Opinium on behalf of Just Group among 1,043 UK retired and semi-retired adults aged 55+ in April.