The transition from work to retirement: Experienced support from adult children

Abstract

Retirement is an important life event, which is often characterized by many changes in the lives of individuals. Support from children can potentially help older adults to cope with these changes. Empirical insights on intergenerational support regarding retirement are limited though. To what extent do parents experience support from their children in the transition from work to retirement and how can potential differences be explained? The analyses are based on panel data collected among retirees in the Netherlands (N = 709). Information about experienced support from children regarding retirement was collected during Wave 3 in 2011. A minority of retired parents experiences support from their children in the transition from work to retirement. Retirees who do not have a partner and retirees having a poor financial situation are relatively likely to experience support from their children when transitioning into retirement. This is also the case for retirees who regularly take care of their grandchildren, or who often help their children with practical chores. Children are more likely to support their parents if support is exchanged, and only seem to react to potential indicators of need for support surrounding retirement to a limited extent.