A public petition hosted on the UK Parliament's official website is demanding a radical overhaul of the state pension system, calling for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to abolish the Basic State Pension.
The Core Demand: A Universal New State Pension
The petition, created by Michael Thompson, argues that the government should transfer all elderly recipients onto the New State Pension. It specifically calls for the New State Pension to be increased to a level that represents a good percentage of average earnings and for the old Basic State Pension to be scrapped entirely.
Crucially, the proposal includes a call for retrospective payments. The petition states that those currently on the Basic State Pension should be paid the difference accrued since the New State Pension's introduction in 2016. This would cover the financial gap between the two pension rates over the past several years.
Understanding the Pension Divide
The current financial disparity is significant. The Basic State Pension is now £176.45 per week, while the New State Pension is £230.25 per week. This creates a weekly shortfall of £53.80 for those on the older scheme.
To provide context on earnings, the Office for National Statistics estimated that Britain's average weekly earnings (AWE) were £722 in March 2025. The petition's call to link the pension to average earnings seeks to ensure pension incomes keep pace with the wider economy.
The ‘old’ State Pension system applies to people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016. This includes men born before 6 April 1951 and women born before 6 April 1953. This system was more complex, consisting of a basic State Pension (BSP) and an additional State Pension, which was based on earnings during a person's working life since 1978.
Next Steps for the Petition
For the petition to progress, it must gain substantial public backing. At the time of writing, it has been signed by 358 people. The petition will remain open until 13 December 2025, giving it six months from its creation to gather support.
If it reaches 10,000 signatures, the government is obliged to issue an official response. Should it achieve 100,000 signatures, the petition will be considered for a full debate in Parliament, putting the issue directly before MPs.
