Go-go, slow-go, no-go: a retirement income that changes with age
Updated 7 October 2026. Figures checked against official sources on 7 October 2026.
Many retirement calculators assume you want the same income every year until the end. Plenty of people plan differently: more in the early, active "go-go" years, less in the "slow-go" years, and less again in the "no-go" years.
The calculator sets a different income for each stage: £32,000 a year from 62 to 72, £26,000 from 72 to 82 and £21,000 after that, all take-home in today's money. From 91, your income falls short of the £21,000 a year you want.
Worked example
From 90, your income falls short of the £21,000 a year you want.
- Age now
- 60
- Retire at
- 62
- Pots
- £420,000
- Take-home wanted
- £32,000 a year
- Plan until
- 95
Phased income compared with a flat income
The same pots could pay a flat £27,500 a year instead, and the money falls short from 90, the same as the phased plan. So in this example the same pots pay either £32,000 a year in your 60s falling to £21,000, or £27,500 every year, for the same length of time.
Setting your own stages
Each stage in the calculator has a from age, a to age and a yearly income in today's money. Use as many stages as you like, and tick or untick "take-home" to enter amounts after or before tax. The state pension, annuities and other income count towards each stage, so the pots only top up the gap.
Spending isn't the same for everyone
The go-go, slow-go, no-go pattern is a way of planning, not a rule. Some costs, such as travel, often fall with age, while others, such as care, can rise late in life. A falling income leaves less room for those later costs. The calculator's stress tests show what happens if markets fall early or you live to 100:
- A 25% market fall in the first year of retirement: the money falls short from 86.
- Growth 2 points lower every year: the money falls short from 81.
- In 43 out of 100 market tests, it lasts to 95.
Phased retirement from work
"Phased retirement" can also mean easing out of work, for example working part-time while drawing part of a pension. To model that, add your earnings as other income until the age they stop.
Questions people ask
What are the go-go, slow-go and no-go years?
A way of planning retirement in three stages: an active start when spending is often higher, a slower middle, and a later stage when many people spend less on things like travel.
Does spending fall with age in retirement?
For many people some costs fall, such as travel and running a car, while others such as care can rise. Patterns differ a lot between people, so the calculator lets you set any income for any age.
Does a falling income make my money last longer?
In our worked example, £32,000 a year in the 60s falling to £21,000 lasts as long as a flat £27,500 a year from the same pots: both falls short from 90.
How do I plan a different income for each stage?
Add a stage for each period in the calculator, with a from age, a to age and the yearly income you want in today's money.
Is phased retirement the same as phased drawdown?
No. Phased retirement usually means easing out of work. Phased drawdown means taking your pension's tax-free cash and income in chunks rather than all at once.
Sources
Rates and rules were checked against these on 7 October 2026. Worked-example figures come from the calculator, using 2026/27 tax rules.