State Pension Age Review

This comprehensive review examines the current rules and regulations surrounding the pension age considering factors such as life expectancy, economic conditions and the overall health of the population. The review aims to determine whether the current age at which individuals become eligible for the state pension remains appropriate or if adjustments are necessary.

People will understandably have concerns as previous reviews have resulted in increases to the state pension age and this latest assessment is expected to analyse similar factors to the previous exercises to determine if future changes are warranted so the government's findings and any proposed changes may significantly impact future retirees and their retirement planning. 

The timeline for the review's completion and subsequent announcements is not yet finalised but updates are expected to be released through official government channels in due course. 

The government will claim that its desire is to ensure the sustainability and fairness of the state pension system but given the austerity policies imposed by governments of all complexions since 2010 many will wonder if the timing of this review will simply be another vehicle through which to accelerate the move to a state pension age of 68 (currently due in 2046) and to cut spending in the long-term. Some mainstream media outlets are already predicting that the pension age will rise to 70. 

The current plan remains for the pension age to rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028 and it is highly likely that employee pensions will follow suit as has happened in the past.

Many will look at the timing of the review with suspicion given the continuing reluctance of the government to properly compensate the WASPI women, the continuation of the Tory freeze of personal allowances so drawing more and more pensioners each year into paying tax, and the Chancellor, Rachel Reeve's, misguided policy of culling winter fuel payments to pensioners.

At the 2025 PCS Annual Delegate Conference motion A64 was carried committing the union to campaign for proper compensation for the WASPI women: restoration of the winter fuel payment for all pensioners; safeguarding and improving the state pension; unfreezing the tax threshold and opposition to further increases in state pension age with the aim of immediately reducing it back to 60.

Interesting times lay ahead as there is little doubt that the PCS Political Fund will be put to good use in the coming period.