The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has issued a report indicating that the state pension age will rise to 68 by 2037, seven years earlier than the current timeline of 2044. This change is expected to affect approximately five million people who are currently aged 49 to 55, requiring them to work an extra year before becoming eligible for their state pension.
Details of the Proposed Change
According to the OBR report, the 'current policy' is to move the rise forward by seven years, and the Treasury has confirmed this decision. However, the policy has not yet been announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves or enacted into legislation. The Pension Act 2007 originally set the rise to 68 from 2044 to 2046, similar to the current transition from 66 to 67, which is due to complete by April 2028.
Impact on Workers and Savings
Dr Carole Easton OBE, chief executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, expressed concern: “It is extremely worrying if the Treasury is thinking of making the next rise in state pension age in just over a decade’s time. The Government needs to be very careful about making this change. During the rise to 66, it doubled the poverty rates for 64-year-olds. A recent parliamentary committee report warned the impact is likely to be even bigger now for the current rise to 67. Other than the substantial savings the Treasury will make from making people wait longer for their State Pension, it is hard to see what evidence could be used to justify introducing the next rise sooner.”
Catherine Foot, director of the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement, warned that many are unprepared. She said: “The state pension remains a critical element of retirement incomes in the UK for millions of people, and the reports that state pension age increases could be accelerated are a reflection of the difficult balancing act Government faces in keeping the system affordable while people live longer, and ensuring it remains fair and adequate for those who rely on it. The challenging reality is that our research shows the pressures are already being felt most acutely by those least able to adapt to the current increase. Over a quarter of those directly affected by rises in state pension age say they are struggling to make ends meet day-to-day – compared to just one in seven of those above state pension age – and more than a third of people in their early 60s say they expect they will need to work for longer as a result.”
Uneven Impact Across Income Groups
Foot added: “Our modelling shows that 44% of defined contribution pension savers who could be affected by a rise in the State Pension Age to 68 are already not on track to achieve the retirement they expect. What's more, around one in seven (14%) are not confident they can work until their planned retirement age and lack significant private wealth to fall back on. The impact is also uneven across income groups, with twice as many lower earners expecting a significant impact on their household finances compared with higher earners. An additional consideration if these changes come to pass is the impact it will have on Gen X who would be the first affected. This generation haven’t received the full benefit of either Defined Benefit or Defined Contribution pension systems and as result, many are currently tracking towards a significant drop in living standard in retirement.”
Official Review Underway
An official review of the state pension age is currently underway. Foot noted: “We should not take these reports as the outcome but the discussion about how we balance fairness and affordability of the state pension is one we can expect to hear much more on in the coming months.” The proposed acceleration has sparked warnings for those aged over 49 to review their retirement savings and prepare for potential changes.
