Minimum State Pension should equal the National Minimum Wage for under 18s. — 22,962 signatures. Status: open.
The National Living Wage age for 21+ is now £23,132 (35 hour week; 52 week year). Even the National Minimum Wage for under 18's is £14,560 (same basis). My full New State Pension is only £12,564 after working for a lifetime.
I believe for 65+ a minimum UK standard of living is £14,500 and the State Pension should match this. The full New State Pension lags well behind those in Europe (UK only 13th of 28). Even an apprentice, or under 18 worker, is now legislated to earn a salary of at least £14,560. For 18 to 20 year old workers this National Minimum Wage equates to £19,747 per annum. For those who have worked and paid NI and taxes all their lives, we believe a full State Pension of £12,564 is just not fair and equitable and the State Pension should be at least the £14,500 necessary for a minimum standard of living for retirees.
The Government has no plans to make the State Pension equal the National Minimum Wage for under 18s.
The Government is committed to supporting current and future generations of pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. In 2026/27 the Government will spend over £186 billion directly on the State Pension and benefits for pensioners in Great Britain. The full rate of the new State Pension has risen to £241.30 per week, which is over £12,500 per year, following an increase in line with average earnings. The basic State Pension has also increased to £184.90 per week, which is over £9,600 per year. These increases reflect our commitment to the Triple Lock throughout this parliament - uprating the State Pension by the highest of inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index, average wage increase or 2.5% each year - and to protecting pensioners from the rising cost of living. Maintaining the Triple Lock throughout this Parliament will mean the annual spending on people’s State Pensions is forecast to rise by over £30 billion, this will see pensioners’ yearly incomes being up to £2,100 higher. The State Pension and the National Minimum Wage have different purposes, and a direct comparison cannot be drawn. The National Minimum Wage is designed to protect young and low-income workers and provide an incentive to work. It is also difficult to make meaningful comparisons between State Pension schemes in different countries because there are important differences in the way they are run. There are many factors to take into account such as different tax systems, the cost of living, access to occupational pensions and availability of other social security benefits, as well as the provision of services and goods free to pensioners or at concessionary rates. Our system of state, private, and workplace pensions provides the basis for security in retirement. The new State Pension was introduced in 2016 to provide a simpler, clearer, sustainable foundation for private saving, including workplace pensions supported through Automatic Enrolment. The Government takes seriously the need to ensure pensioners – including future retirees – have a decent standard of living. That is why the Government has recently launched the Pensions Commission to ensure our pensions system delivers this in the decades ahead. In addition to the State Pension, the government makes available supplementary benefits, including Pension Credit (which guarantees a minimum level of income for low-income pensioners), to provide additional support in later life. Pension Credit passports pensioners to receive other benefits (help with council tax, fuel bills and a free TV licence for those over 75). The vast majority of pensioners – around 9 million individuals – will benefit from a Winter Fuel Payment this winter. The Government has been clear that the Winter Fuel Payment should be means-tested on the basis of income. For higher income pensioners, those with an annual income of more than £35,000, the payment will be recovered via the tax system. This threshold means no lower or middle-income pensioners will miss out, with the vast majority of pensioners – over three quarters – in England and Wales benefitting. Those on Pension Credit and certain other income-related benefits will benefit from Winter Fuel Payments regardless of their income. Other key supplementary benefits for low-income pensioners include the Warm Home Discount (rebate on energy bills) and Housing Benefit (help with rent). Additional discretionary support may be available through local authorities under the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF), for pensioners who are in crisis and in need for immediate financial support. All pensioners qualify for free eye tests and NHS prescriptions, and free bus passes. Pensioners with a long-term health condition or disability may also be eligible for additional-costs disability benefits. In England and Wales these are Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment. In Scotland, where this is a devolved matter, they are the Scottish Government’s Pension Age Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment and, from March 2025, Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance. All these reserved and devolved benefits also give rise to a disability addition in Pension Credit. Entitlement to Carer’s Allowance, or to the Scottish Government’s Carer Support Payment, gives rise to a carer addition in Pension Credit. The Government’s other priority to support pensioners is to rescue the NHS. We inherited a situation where 1 in 5 over 75s were on an NHS waiting list. That is totally unacceptable, and we are tackling it with both reform and resources. We are investing a further £29 billion a year into the NHS by 2028/29, and as a result NHS waiting lists, and the number of over 65s on them, are falling. Department for Work and Pensions
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