The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued an update on the state pension age amid a review by the Labour government. DWP Secretary Pat McFadden confirmed in Parliament that the next review of the state pension age remains scheduled under existing rules, and he did not rule out future increases.
"There are periodic reviews of this built into the process," McFadden told MPs. "The state pension age has been rising in the last couple of decades. I do not want to pre-empt anything, but that review is built into the process."
McFadden acknowledged that the impact of an increased pension age varies across the country. "Being 67 or 68 years old can feel very different in different parts of the country," he said. "I know that it can feel quite different to be 67 or 68 years old in my constituency compared with leafier parts of the country."
He emphasized that the government must consider all factors, including affordability. "These are difficult decisions," he added. "You have to take into account affordability for the country."
The DWP aims to ensure the system continues to provide "security in retirement" while recognizing the realities facing older workers. "It has to take into account the factors that you raise as well. We owe that to the public," McFadden said.
"It is a very delicate decision," he stated, "which is why we do these careful reviews to take all these things into account."
The previous review led to a proposal to increase the state pension age from 67 to 68 between 2037 and 2039, announced in July 2017 after the Cridland review. In its March 2025 forecast, the Office for Budget Responsibility estimated that raising the pension age from 66 to 67 would save around £10 billion a year by 2029-30.
