A senior Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) minister has provided an update to MPs regarding an upcoming review of the state pension age. The qualifying age for the state pension is currently rising from 66 to 67, with further plans to increase it from 67 to 68.
Timeline and Review
The transition from 66 to 67 is scheduled between April 2026 and April 2028, with a timetable set for the move from 67 to 68 between 2044 and 2046. However, Labour announced in 2025 that there would be a third independent review of the state pension age policy. The most recent Government-commissioned review was published in 2023, recommending bringing forward the shift from 67 to 68.
The forthcoming review will be conducted by Dr Suzy Morrissey and will examine several key areas, including the merits of linking the state pension age to life expectancy, the concept of automatic mechanisms for determining the state pension age, and how such systems have functioned in other countries.
Legal Requirements
Under the 2014 Pensions Act, the Government is obliged to commission an independent review into the state pension age every six years. As the last review was published in March 2023, the next report must be completed by March 2029.
Minister's Statement
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden was questioned by the Work and Pensions Committee on Wednesday, June 17 about whether the next review is on course to meet the March 2029 deadline. He told the committee: "There are periodic reviews of this built into the process. The state pension age has been rising in the last couple of decades. I don't want to pre-empt anything but that review is built into the process. That is the timescale. I have no changes to announce on that here this morning."
Additional Support for Vulnerable Groups
Committee member Damien Egan highlighted that individuals in their 60s nearing retirement are being impacted by the rise from 66 to 67. He noted that policy advocates have argued for "additional support" through extra social benefits for the most disadvantaged within this demographic. Egan pointed to figures showing that half of those aged 60 to 66 in the lowest income groups are "already frail" and may struggle to remain employed.
Mr McFadden responded with an optimistic perspective, stating: "I'm an optimist about growing older. I hope people see a productive working life well up in years. The increase in the state pension age has been accompanied by increasing rates of employment in people close to state retirement age."
Regional Disparities
However, he acknowledged that experiences vary, citing older residents in his Wolverhampton South East constituency. The minister said: "That's one part of the story. But you're right, there's another part of the story, where being 67 or 68 years old can feel very different in different parts of the country. I represent a working class Black Country constituency with a tradition of physical work. I know that it can feel quite different for somebody to be 67 or 68 in my constituency compared to leafier parts of the country. So we have to bear this in mind, and consider all these aspects when thinking about the state pension age in the future, so we have a system that's fair to everyone, is sustainable financially and does the best job it can to give people security in retirement."
