More than 10,100 people have rallied behind an online petition urging the UK Government to double the New State Pension from £11,973 to £22,000 annually. This figure mirrors the yearly earnings of someone working a 35-hour week on the National Living Wage.
Having crossed the threshold for consideration, the petition is now due a formal reply, expectedly from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
The brainchild of Ken Marshall, the proposal surfaced on the official Petitions Parliament website, demanding that pensioners pocket a hefty £427.35 weekly – that’s around £1,709 every four weeks – in step with the anticipated National Living Wage rate of £12.21 per hour by 2025/26, reports the Daily Record.
Mr Marshall called the stark gap between the State Pension and National Living Wage “distressing” and championed the cause of older people, stating, “we must not allow our senior citizens, who have contributed so much to our society, to struggle through their sunset years”.
He said syncing the payouts for the nation’s 13 million pensioners with the National Living Wage was a “matter of fairness and respect”.
The ‘pay pensioners the equivalent of the living wage of a 35 hour week’ campaign, showcased on the Petitions Parliament portal, declares: “The full rate of the New State Pension is now £11,973 a year, while the annual income derived from the National Living Wage for a 35-hour week will be above £22,000. We think there is a distressing discrepancy between these two figures.
“We must not allow our senior citizens, who have contributed so much to our society, to struggle through their sunset years. We consider that it is a matter of fairness and respect. We all deserve a decent life when we get old.”
The statement concludes: “We believe that all pensioners must receive the equivalent of the living wage at 35 hours a week as a minimum. This could ensure a better quality of life for our country’s senior citizens and help ensure that no elderly person in our society has to face financial hardship.”
Should the petition reach 100,000 signatures, it would be considered by the Petitions Committee for debate in Parliament. The full petition is available for viewing here.
National Minimum Wage rates 2025/26
The National Minimum Wage for people over 21 is now:
- £12.21 per hour
- £427.35 for a typical 35-hour working week
- £,709.40 every four-week pay period or £1,851.85 per month
- £22,222.20 over the 2025/26 financial year
State Pension payment rates 2025/26
Full New State Pension
- Weekly payment: £230.25
- Four-weekly payment: £921
- Annual amount: £11,973
Full Basic State Pension
- Weekly payment: £176.45
- Four-weekly payment: £705.80
- Annual amount: £9,175
Future State Pension increases
The Labour Government has pledged to honour the Triple Lock or the next five years and the latest predictions show the following projected annual increases:
- 2025/26 – 4.1% (the forecast was 4%)
- 2026/27 – 2.5%
- 2027/28 – 2.5%
- 2028/29 – 2.5%
- 2029/30 – 2.5%
Earlier proposals presented in a similar petition, which demanded the State Pension to rise to £549 weekly for every individual aged over 60 were dismissed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). In its previous written response, the DWP stated that the UK Government “has no plans to make State Pension available from the age of 60 or to increase State Pension to equal 48 hours of work a week at the National Living Wage”.
The DWP has confirmed the Government is “committed to supporting current and future generations of pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement”, also highlighting Labour’s promise to maintain the Triple Lock throughout the current Parliament.
The DWP response reiterated that the UK Government is “committed to supporting current and future generations of pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement” and emphasised Labour’s commitment to the Triple Lock for the duration of this Parliament.
The DWP issued a statement clarifying the distinct roles of State Pensions and the National Living Wage, claiming: “The State Pension and the National Living Wage have different purposes, and a direct comparison cannot be drawn. The National Living Wage is designed to protect low-income workers and provide an incentive to work.”
They further elaborated on the nature of the State Pension, stating: “It is also worth noting that while State Pension is an entitlement based on a person’s National Insurance record, it is legally a benefit. From the time of the 1946 National Insurance Act, which applied from the inception of the National Insurance scheme, retirement pension (latterly also known as State Pension), has always been classified in law as a ‘benefit’.”
Additionally, the DWP described the New State Pension, launched in 2016, as a “simpler, clearer, sustainable foundation for private saving, including workplace pensions supported through Automatic Enrolment”.
It added: “The introduction of Automatic Enrolment has both increased and equalised workplace pension participation rates between eligible men and women in the private sector. Together, the New State Pension and Automatic Enrolment provide a robust system for retirement provision for decades to come, with those on low incomes supported by Pension Credit which continues to provide a safety net.”
Finally, the DWP confirmed that there are no intentions to revert the State Pension age to 60, highlighting that it functions on a pay-as-you-go basis funded by the existing taxpayer base.
