RETIREMENT is something we all aspire to.

As Brexit progresses it is a situation where we are, to some extent, stepping into the unknown. We can only contemplate the impact Britain departing from the European Union will have, and while many will be concerned about the affect it could have, others are carrying on regardless - particularly when it comes to approaching the end of their career.

According to research from Prudential two thirds of people expecting to retire this year say Brexit has not affected their plans.

Some 67 per cent of people planning to retire in 2017 said their plans have not been affected by the vote to leave the EU.

However, there were some signs of uncertainty with more than one in 10 (11 per cent) of those who were planning to retire in 2017 saying they had changed their retirement date directly because of the referendum vote.

Six per cent of those contemplating a change of scenery were also re-thinking the country they had planned to retire in, including some who had always planned to stay in the UK now considering moving overseas.

When asked about the impact of Brexit on their long-term finances, 27% were worried it would have a negative effect, 12% thought it would have a positive impact and 45% thought there would be no long-term impact.

Kirsty Anderson, a retirement expert at Prudential, said: "Looking below the surface, there is a degree of uncertainty and nervousness among many of this year's retirees."

The research, carried out in November 2016, asked 1,000 people planning to retire in 2017 about their plans.

But Bradford businesswoman, Terry King, who is involved with Chapter 3 Enterprise - a community interest company working in the mature enterprise sector supporting the needs and aspirations of older people, says for many of her contemporaries Brexit isn't on their radar in relation to their retirement plans.

"It doesn't affect when they are going to retire or any other decisions," says Terry.

"Brexit is not looming much in my contemporaries' consciousness."

Referring to those who may now be slightly more reluctant to retire across the continent due to the uncertainty of Brexit, Terry has found from those she has spoken to that they are less likely to live abroad 'because of not knowing what the effect will be post-Brexit, so it is less attractive," says Terry.

She says one of the key issues, and one which is regularly raised among her female contemporaries, is the increase in pension age which could see many of them working for longer.

Those who have been fortunate enough to retire already face having to access their additional income later in life.

The state pension age is currently 65 for men and it is gradually increasing for women from 60 to 65.

According to the Age UK website, it is 63 and nine months from April 2017, and 64 and six months by April 2018.

From 2019, the state pension age will start to increase for both men and women to reach 66 by 2020.

The Government is planning further increases, which will raise the state pension age from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028.

"Some have retired but have longer to wait for another bit of income," adds Terry.