Waitrose-owner the John Lewis Partnership has ended its lifetime staff discount as it shakes up its retirement benefits.

The high street retailer has axed lifetime discount cards for former employees who worked for at least 15 years for the business, reported The Telegraph.

The partnership says the changes, which are set be introduced in September, will mean more leavers have access to benefits at the end of their employment at John Lewis and Waitrose.

However, the default “lifetime” discount will also no longer be available, with former staff now offered discount benefits with expiration dates directly linked to their length of service.

It is understood that a retiree with 20 years of employment at the retailer will be limited to 20 years of discount, rather than the “lifetime” benefit. However, the John Lewis partnership added that these changes would not impact existing retirees.

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In a memo seen by the publication, the high street giant said the new package aimed to simplify the system, and was not an attempt to save costs.

“Making this change also reflects the fact that retirement as a stage of life isn’t as clearly defined as it used to be, now being a much more individual decision – in terms of both how and when (and even how long) we decide to retire,” it said.

Current retiree perks for former employees include discounts on items in Waitrose and John Lewis, as well as the offer of a stay at one of the partnerships five hotels across the UK.

A spokesman added: “We’re changing our leavers benefits to enable us to more than double the number of our partners who are eligible. We’re incredibly proud of this package, which rewards loyalty and goes well beyond those offered by competitors.

“We’re also in a unique position of having an additional, dedicated fund for our council to spend to support partners and leavers, and are making sure this is spent with the best impact.”