A petition calling for the state pension to be paid to everyone from age 60 has reached a significant milestone as its deadline arrives today, Monday, August 10. The petition, created by Denver Johnson, opened on February 10, 2026, and closes today. It argues for a fundamental change to the current pension system, proposing that the state pension should start from a person's 60th birthday.
Petition details and proposals
The petition also calls for the payment to be linked to the National Living Wage. Under the proposal, the state pension would be equivalent to 48 hours of work at the National Living Wage, calculated at £610.08 a week, or around £31,724 a year. The payment would be available to all people aged 60, including those living overseas.
The petition has attracted 6,171 signatures at the time of writing. The official Parliament petition page states that 10,000 signatures are required before the Government is obliged to respond, and a petition reaching 100,000 signatures can be considered for debate in Parliament.
Petition statement
The petition states: "We want the Government to make the state pension available from age 60 and increase it to equal 48 hours a week at the National Living Wage. Hence from April 2026 a Universal State Pension should be £610.08 per week or about £31,724.16 per year as a right to all including expatriates, age 60 and above."
It continues: "We think that Government policy seems intent on the State Pension being a benefit not paid to all, while ever increasing the age of entitlement. We want reforms to the State Pension, so that it is available to all including expatriates, from age 60, and linked to the National Living Wage, for security."
Current state pension age changes
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed the state pension age is rising for people born in two years. The state pension age has started to rise from 66 in April 2026 and will reach 67 in April 2028. The age at which people can claim their State Pension depends on their date of birth.
The increase affects people born on April 6, 1960, onwards. For those born between April 6, 1960 and March 5, 1961, the State Pension age rises in monthly steps. This means some people will reach State Pension age at 66 years and one month, while others will have to wait until they are 66 years and 11 months. People born from March 6, 1961, onwards are currently due to reach State Pension age at 67.
Government statement on the increase
The Government said about the increase in State Pension age: "The Pensions Act 2014 brought the increase in the State Pension age from 66 to 67 forward by eight years. The State Pension age for men and women will now increase to 67 between 2026 and 2028. The Government also changed the way in which the increase in State Pension age is phased so that rather than reaching State Pension age on a specific date, people born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 will reach their State Pension age at 66 years and the specified number of months."
The State Pension age timetable according to the Pensions Act 2014 is as follows: for births from April 6, 1960 to May 5, 1960, the age is 66 years and 1 month; each subsequent month adds one month, up to February 6, 1961 to March 5, 1961, which is 66 years and 11 months. Those born from March 6, 1961 to April 5, 1977 will reach State Pension age at 67. You can check your state pension age on GOV.UK by entering your date of birth.
