Three in five people aged 60 to 65 now believe their own State Pension age is unfair, according to new research from the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement. The findings come amid reports that Treasury officials have indicated to the Office for Budget Responsibility that the Labour government's current policy assumption is to bring forward the rise in the DWP State Pension age to 68 to as early as 2037.
First cohort affected by rise to 67
This age group is the first cohort affected by the existing increase in the State Pension age from 66 to 67, which is being phased over two years from 2026 to 2028. The research indicates widespread dissatisfaction with that change among those directly impacted.
Seven in ten people aged 60 to 65 think the threshold should remain unchanged regardless of rises in average life expectancy. Fewer than a quarter, 23%, said they would support the State Pension age rising further.
Women particularly affected
Catherine Foot, director of the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement, said: “As our population ages, the country is faced with fiscal challenges that involve difficult trade-offs. The State Pension is often central to these debates, but our research shows how strongly people feel about changes to the State Pension age. A majority of those most immediately affected by the ongoing increase to 67 believe the change is unfair and do not support further rises linked to life expectancy.”
Foot added: “This is particularly true for women, who are significantly less likely than men to have adequate private retirement savings. If further increases to the State Pension age are considered, policymakers will need to ensure people have sufficient opportunity to prepare, and should also take action to minimise the impact on those with lower savings and fewer options to extend their working lives.”
Call for public involvement in pension reforms
Foot said: “As policymakers consider the future of the State Pension and wider pensions adequacy, it is vital that the public’s views are heard, alongside expert perspectives. Deliberative democracy - such as Citizens’ Assemblies - can help people engage with these complex social and fiscal issues, giving policymakers a better understanding of the priorities that matter most to ordinary people. Integrating citizen participation into future pension reforms could help support more sustainable long-term decision-making and reduce resentment around further reforms.”
The research highlights a clear gap between government policy assumptions and public opinion on retirement ages. With the potential acceleration of the rise to 68, the findings suggest policymakers face significant opposition from the very cohort most affected by upcoming changes.
