The State Pension age remains a key issue for millions of people across the UK, with questions continuing over when people should become eligible to receive their State Pension. The current State Pension age is 66 for both men and women, but it is already set to rise gradually to 67 under legislation. A further increase to 68 is also planned, although the timing will depend on future reviews and Government decisions.
Who decides the State Pension age?
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for administering the State Pension, while changes to the State Pension age are decided by the Government and Parliament. The debate over the pension age is closely linked to changes in life expectancy, the size of the UK population and the cost of providing pensions.
So what do you think? Vote in our poll and join the debate in the comments below.
Arguments for and against a higher pension age
Those who support a higher State Pension age argue that people are generally living longer and spending more years in retirement. Raising the age at which people become eligible could therefore help manage the long-term cost of the State Pension.
But opponents of further increases point to the differences in people's working lives. Someone who has spent decades in a physically demanding job may find it considerably harder to remain in employment into their late 60s than someone working in an office. There are also concerns about people with long-term health problems or caring responsibilities, who may face difficulties continuing to work until a later pension age.
Impact on retirement planning
For many households, the State Pension is an important part of retirement planning, meaning changes to the eligibility age can have a significant impact on when people expect to leave work.
With the future pension age likely to remain a major political and financial issue, we want to know what our readers think.
