State pension age update as petition demands Brits get pension at 60

A new petition is calling on the UK Government to allow older disabled people early access to their State Pension, amid growing debate over the rising retirement age.

The State Pension age is currently 66 for both men and women and is set to increase to 67 between 2026 and 2028. A further rise to 68 is scheduled between 2044 and 2046. These changes were legislated under the Pensions Act 2014, which also brought forward the increase from 66 to 67 by eight years.

The petition, launched by campaigner George Bolgar, argues that people aged 60 and over with disabilities who have been unemployed for at least five years should be given the option to retire and claim the State Pension immediately.

It states that keeping long-term unemployed disabled people on Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) registers creates unnecessary stress for individuals and extra work for staff, while employment prospects for this group are minimal.

Bolgar's petition will require a formal government response if it reaches 10,000 signatures.

At 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

The push for reform comes as the government prepares to roll out the next increase in the State Pension age. Under current legislation, people born between 6 March 1961 and 5 April 1977 will not qualify for their State Pension until they reach 67.

The Pensions Act also requires a review of the State Pension age every five years, taking into account life expectancy and other factors. The next review is due before the end of this decade and could accelerate changes to the retirement age.

For those planning ahead, the DWP provides an online tool at GOV.UK to check when individuals will reach State Pension age, when they may qualify for Pension Credit, and when they become eligible for free bus travel - which remains at 60 in Scotland.

As debate over retirement fairness intensifies, this latest petition adds pressure on ministers to balance financial sustainability with the realities facing older and disabled people.