A new online petition posted on the UK Parliament website is calling for the State Pension age to be reduced to 65 for everyone across the UK. The petition, created by Michelle Gill, has already attracted more than 9,800 signatures since it was published earlier this month and is approaching the threshold required to trigger an official written response from the UK Government.
Retire with dignity
The petition argues the change could allow people to retire with dignity while avoiding financial hardship. It states: “Reduce the State Pension age to 65. We believe this could mean people can retire with dignity and avoid hardship. We also think it could free up jobs for younger workers entering the labour market.”
The petition adds: “Many aged 65-67 face poor health, caring pressures, and limited work options, which we think is unfair.” At 100,000 signatures of support, the proposal would be considered by the Petitions Committee for debate in Parliament.
State Pension age rise
The calls come as the State Pension age is increasing from 66 to 67. The change is being phased in between April 2026 and March 2028, meaning the exact age someone can claim their State Pension depends on their date of birth.
The increase from 66 to 67 is being introduced gradually rather than changing on the same day for everyone. Under current legislation, a further increase to 68 is scheduled between 2044 and 2046, although the timetable for future increases remains subject to UK Government reviews.
The State Pension age is the earliest age at which someone can start receiving their State Pension. It is separate from the age at which someone can stop working, and people do not have to retire when they reach it. Reducing the age to 65 would allow affected people to start receiving State Pension payments earlier than under the current timetable.
Previous calls to change State Pension age
State Pension age has become an increasingly prominent issue as the UK Government considers the long-term cost of supporting an ageing population. The latest petition comes just days after Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced major changes to the State Pension Triple Lock from April 2030.
The existing guarantee will remain for the rest of this Parliament, but from 2030 annual State Pension increases will be based on the higher of inflation or 2.5 per cent, alongside a separate mechanism intended to maintain the value of the State Pension relative to average earnings over the longer term.
