The fallout from the financial crisis has caused a massive upswing in demand for pension advice, according to a new study. The survey, of over 300 pension advisers, compares the perception of clients’ attitudes to pensions before the economic turmoil (2006) with the current situation.

The survey, carried out by Aviva, found that attitudes towards retirement funding have been profoundly affected by the crisis, with clients now 61% more likely to come to advisers with their concerns than they were before the financial crisis.

Those most affected have larger than average pension pots, with more than 50% of those with pension pots of £125,000 or more now more likely to ask for advice than they were five years ago.

The findings also suggest that the concept of retirement is evolving, with the number of people intending to work beyond the standard retirement age increasing by 71%. Clients are now more aware of the impact of external factors on their pension pots due to the financial crisis - 34% are now more likely to think about the effect of inflation on their finances, and 40% have greater concerns about taxation than they had in 2006.