SCOTS are less likely to consider working past the state pension age than the rest of Britain, a new survey shows.

The UK-wide 'Class of 2015' research reveals that some 51 per cent of Brits would consider working on to help improve their financial position.

But in Scotland only 39 per cent said they would follow suit.

Around one in four of Scots and Brits who are scheduled to retire this year have already chosen to delay their plans.

Some 21 per cent of Brits who are planning to retire this year say they do not feel ready to stop working altogether, a figure that has remained stable since 2011 among those approaching the milestone. In Scotland just 18 per cent felt the same way.

The details contained in the Prudential insurance company study says that cutting the hours they work with their current employer is the preferred option for 31 per cent of this year's British retirees who would consider continuing to work.

Nearly one in eight would like to look for a part-time job with a new employer while 11 per cent say they are content to carry on full-time in their current job.

Prudential retirement income expert Stan Russell said: "It's no surprise that Scots are less likely than the rest of the UK to be working on past the state pension age. Our research has found that three-fifths of new retirees north of the border feel financially well prepared for retirement - which is above the UK average.

"We also know that people retiring in Scotland in 2015 are the least likely of all UK pensioners to have outstanding debts."

The decision to continue working past what previous generations would have considered the 'traditional' retirement age is not always a financial one, the study says.

For this year's retirees the most popular reason for considering staying in work, cited by 57 per cent, is to keep mentally and physically fit. Some 55 per cent of Scots agreed.

For 39 per cent it is because they enjoy working, while 35 per cent say they would miss interacting with work colleagues. A third (33 per cent) do not like the idea of being at home all the time and 23 per cent say they would miss having a daily routine, the research showed.

Three in 10 (30 per cent) of those planning to retire say they will enrol in a course or take up some form of formal education, while 29 per cent plan to undertake voluntary work. Over a quarter (26 per cent) say they will join a club or activity group.

Staying fit and healthy is also high on the agenda with 43 per cent committed to undertaking more physical activity. Three in 10 (30 per cent) say they will eat more healthily, one in 10 (10 per cent) plan to reduce their alcohol consumption and five per cent intend to quit smoking.

Mr Russell added: "People's attitudes towards retirement are increasingly optimistic, especially with the new freedom on accessing pension savings that will come into effect this April. The 'Class of 2015' are approaching their later years determined to improve their health, acquire new skills and enjoy themselves.

"Planning ahead to help achieve a retirement income that will support these ambitions is vital and consulting a financial adviser or retirement specialist well in advance of any planned retirement date can help enormously.

"The old image of everyone giving up work aged 60 or 65 and becoming a pensioner is a thing of the past. People are seeing the opportunity to stay at work full-time or in a period of 'pre-tirement' as an attractive one - whether it's to boost their pension pots or just to stay fit, healthy and stimulated."

Meanwhile a separate UK-wide study shows that people with early onset dementia can continue to work for years with the correct support.

However, the research being carried out by University of the West of Scotland in partnership with the Alzheimer's Society, the Scottish Dementia Clinical Research Network and Heriot Watt University has shown many employers simply do not know how to help and often push staff towards retirement.