UK Government Rejects Petition to Lower Pension Age

The Department for Work and Pensions rejected a public petition calling for the United Kingdom state pension age to be reduced to 65. The campaign, created by Michelle Gill, gathered 97,869 signatures from citizens arguing that a lower retirement age would reduce financial hardship for those aged 65 to 67 and create more job opportunities for younger workers.

Government officials stated there are no plans to reduce the age to 65, citing the need to protect public finances and referencing life expectancy projections from the Office for National Statistics. The government is currently implementing a gradual increase of the pension age from 66 to 67, a process that began in April 2026 and is scheduled to conclude by March 2028.

While a third State Pension age Review is underway to determine future retirement ages, the government has not announced any reversal of the current increases. To support older workers facing employment barriers, the government is instead reforming support through a new Jobs and Careers Service.