The full new state pension currently pays £241.30 a week, or around £12,550 a year. But a plan has been put on the table for a sizeable uplift to raise this to £14,560.
A petition to Parliament has been set up calling for the state pension to be brought into line with the rate for the National Minimum Wage for under 18s. The minimum wage for people aged under 18 is currently £8 an hour, which works out at £14,560 working full time for 35 hours a week.
The campaign message makes the case that an income of £14,500 is in line with “a minimum UK standard of living” for someone aged 65 and over. The petitioners also say that the current pay level for the state pension is well behind comparable pensioner benefits.
‘Lags well behind’
Outlining their concerns, the campaigners say: “The full new state pension lags well behind those in Europe. 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.” The National Living Wage pays £10.85 an hour, which works out at £19,747 a year if you worked 35 hours a week.
The message to Parliament also argues that the current full new state pension is “just not fair and equitable” and that it should at least pay enough “for a minimum standard of living for retirees”. Estimates from Retirement Living Standards suggest that a single person needs £13,900 a year for a minimum standard of living in retirement, or £22,500 for a couple.
However, for a moderate standard of living, a single person would need to bring in £32,700 while a couple would need to have an income of £45,400.
State pension increase
State pension payments go up each April, in line with the triple lock measure. This ensures payments go up in line with the highest of three measures.
These are the rate of inflation, the rise in average earnings or inflation. Payments went up 4.8 per cent in April 2026, going up in line with the earnings measure.
If the petition gets 10,000 signatures, Government ministers are obliged to write a response. If it reaches 100,000 supporters, the question could be debated in Parliament. You can sign your support for the petition on the Parliament website.