Closed petition Reduce the state pension age to 63 for all

Reduce the state pension age to 63. Some jobs may not able to be done the older we get for example bricklayers, HGV drivers. Of course, there will always be an exception with some elderly people being more able than others.

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The current state pension age is between 66 and 68, but the Government should look to reduce this to 63 for all.

The Government should be doing more to create jobs for young people by allowing older people to retire if they choose to at 63 so that these jobs can be filled by younger people.

This would also protect elderly people from needing to work if that job is too demanding. This would also free up grandparents to support their children with childcare when they are working.

This petition is closed All petitions run for 6 months

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Government responded

This response was given on 27 September 2021

Successive governments and Parliaments have supported the increase in State Pension age (SPa). Reducing it to 63 is neither affordable nor fair to tax payers and future generations.

The latest Office for National Statistics data shows that the number of people over SPa compared to the number of people of working age is expected to increase. On average, people are living longer, and increasing SPa in line with life expectancy changes has been the approach of successive governments over many years. It helps to maintain the cost and sustainability of the State Pension in the long term.

The State Pension is funded through the tax contributions of the current working-age population. Reducing the SPa to 63 would therefore massively increase the tax burden of the current working-age population.

Reducing SPa carries significant costs. Government has previously estimated that had we not increased SPa for both men and women, the total additional cost to taxpayers would have been around £215 billion for the period 2010/11 to 2025/26, in 2018/19 prices. This figure takes into account State Pension, other pensioner benefits, and savings made on working age benefits. The 2019 report that details these costs can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/analysis-relating-to-state-pension-age-changes-from-the-1995-and-2011-pensions-acts/analysis-relating-to-state-pension-age-changes-from-the-1995-and-2011-pensions-acts

The Government is required by law to undertake a review of SPa every six years. The review will balance the need to make State Pension fair between generations and to taxpayers and sustainable in the longer term. The Government will publish the review by May 2023.

The Government has provided an unprecedented amount of support via our Plan for Jobs to help those of all ages find work and get the skills they need to return to work.

Our Plan for Jobs has been designed to deliver targeted support to those most in need, and we continue to provide tailored programmes for younger people who are unemployed. We have also built on our existing programmes by providing further support for young people during the pandemic. Since September 2020, the DWP Youth Offer has provided wrap-around support for 18 to 24 year olds in the Intensive Work search regime of Universal Credit. In addition, the £2 billion Kickstart scheme funds the direct creation of jobs for young people at risk of long-term unemployment giving them the chance to build their confidence and skills in the workplace, and to gain experience that will improve their chances of progressing to find long-term, sustainable work.

Since the launch of Kickstart in September, employers have created over 281,000 approved vacancies for young people, including engineering, construction, adult social care and retail and over 69,000 young people have started in their Kickstart job.

There is no robust evidence to show that older workers are less productive than younger workers, at least up to the age of 70, but we have launched a basic online mid-life MOT, which enables individuals to review their circumstances and plan for later life – this may mean re-skilling/re-training in a new sector, as well as reviewing their finances and taking stock of their health and wellbeing to ensure they have sufficient income to avoid poverty in later life.

As people work later in life, there are often concerns that older workers displace younger workers in the labour market under the mistaken assumption that there are a fixed number of jobs in the economy. Research shows that there is no evidence that younger workers are ‘crowded out’ by the employment of older workers. Instead, evidence suggests that increasing overall employment can further economic growth through increased consumption of goods and services, improving the economy and increasing opportunities for employment. Younger and older workers are complements to each other, rather than substitutes. Older workers are valuable to the economy because of the range of skills and experience they bring.

Also, the Government continues to provide support to eligible working families with childcare including the Tax-Free Childcare scheme, where for every £8 eligible parents pay into their childcare account, the Government adds £2 up to a maximum of £2,000 per child aged 11 and under per year; and £4,000 per child if they are disabled until they are 17.

Whilst Universal Credit childcare support aligns with the wider government childcare offer. This includes the free childcare offer which provides 15 hours a week of free childcare in England for all 3 and 4 year olds and disadvantaged 2 year olds, doubling for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds to 30 hours a week.

The Government has worked hard to protect all age groups during the pandemic, working tirelessly to help get those who have lost their jobs back into work. For those who cannot work, our welfare system continues to provide a strong safety net.

Finally, the 2020 Court of Appeal judgment on SPa can be found here: https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/the-queen-oao-delve-and-glynn-appellants-v-the-secretary-of-state-for-work-and-pensions-respondent

Department for Work and Pensions

Share your experiences for a debate on pensions guidance and advice

On Tuesday 1 March, Nigel Mills MP will lead a backbench business debate in Parliament on the take-up of pensions guidance and advice. 

To inform the debate, he wants to hear about your experiences and suggestions on pensions guidance, including:

  • How well you understand your options when it comes to drawing your pension

  • Whether your pension provider has signposted you to guidance and advice services

  • How you’d address any issues related to pensions guidance and advice.

He may quote your contribution directly during his debate. 

Find out more and share your experiences with him here: https://ukparliament.shorthandstories.com/cet-pensions-advice/index.html?utm_campaign=0222-cet-pensionsguidance-petitioners&utm_medium=email&utm_source=petcom

Videos of the debate, the transcript and other relevant material will be accessible shortly after the debate on this webpage. 

The deadline for contributions is midday on Monday, 28 February.

What are backbench business debates?

Backbench business debates give backbenchers (MPs who aren’t ministers or shadow ministers) an opportunity to secure a debate on a topic of their choice, either in the Chamber or Westminster Hall.

MPs can make a request for a debate to the Backbench Business Committee, who hears and decides which debates to schedule.

Backbench debates can either be general debates (which do not end in a vote) or be on a substantive motion (which calls for an action and can end in a vote). This debate will be a general debate.

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Sign up to the UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference: https://learning.parliament.uk/en/your-uk-parliament-newsletter-sign-up-form/

MPs debate the state pension age

The Petitions Committee scheduled a debate in the House of Commons on the state pension. This took place on Monday 12 December 2022. A member of the Committee, Tonia Antoniazzi MP, opened the debate.

Read a summary of what was said, watch the debate and access other relevant material:

What did you tell us about the state pension?

This includes results from a survey we conducted to ask people who signed this petition about their views on the state pension.

What are petitions debates?

Petitions debates are ‘general’ debates which allow MPs from all parties to discuss the important issues raised by one or more petitions and put their concerns to Government Ministers.

Petition debates don’t end with a vote to implement the request of a petition. This means that MPs did not vote on increasing the state pension age at the end of the debate.

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Sign up to the Your UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference.

MPs debate raising the State Pension age to 68

On Wednesday 1 February MPs debated raising the State Pension age to 68 in the House of Commons.

The debate was led by Nigel Mills MP. Laura Trott MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, responded for the Government.

The subject of the debate was scheduled by the Backbench Business Committee.

What are backbench business debates?

Backbench business debates give backbenchers (MPs who aren’t ministers or shadow ministers) an opportunity to secure a debate on a topic of their choice, either in the Chamber or Westminster Hall.

MPs can make a request for a debate to the Backbench Business Committee, who hears and decides which debates to schedule.

Backbench debates can either be general debates (which do not end in a vote) or be on a substantive motion (which calls for an action and can end in a vote). This debate was a general debate.

Get involved in the work of the UK Parliament

Sign up to the Your UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference.