Pension poll results: Calls for state pension age increase to be scrapped | Personal Finance | Finance

In a poll that ran from 10am on Monday, March 14, to 11am on Tuesday, March 15, Express.co.uk asked: “Do you support a rise in the state pension age or should it remain at 66?” In total, 1,378 people responded and dozens of comments were left below the accompanying article with readers sharing their views on the matter.

The vast majority of voters – 90 percent (1,233)  said “I don’t support it – we should be entitled to our pensions when we were promised”. 

Meanwhile, 10 percent of voters (142) said “I support it – it makes sense, we’re living longer” and a further three people said they didn’t know. 

In the comments, it was clear that many thought the state pension age should not be raised.

Username TROUT_TICKLER said: “The pension age should be lowered, not raised, we were promised utopia by previous Labour governments if we worked hard and paid our taxes and National Insurance…it is time to deliver that promise and reduce retirement age to 60 years old across the board.”

And username ValBrooker wrote: “It should remain at age 66. But if you want to continue working beyond that, it’s up to you.”

While username JohnJ said: “As for the pension age it should be put back to 65!!”

On the other hand, some felt that the pension age should be raised with username melathronman commenting: “Of course I support a fair pension rise, why are we pensioners always having to proffer the begging bowl.”

And username ChwaraeTeg said: “It’s phasing the state pension out, by any other name.”

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The state pension age for both men and women is currently 66 years old, and each will rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028. 

Under current rules, the state pension age will rise again to 68 between 2044 and 2046, but this could happen as soon as 2037.

Overall, Express.co.uk readers agree with UK campaign organisation for senior citizens Silver Voices who are calling for the Government to scrap the next state pension age rise.

Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices said: “Accelerated rises in the State Pension age would return state retirement policy to the era when older people were considered lucky to receive the state pension for a couple of years before they died”. 

The state pension is currently worth up to £179.60 a week, or £9,339.20 a year, but this amount will rise to £185.15 from April 2022, providing an extra £288.60 each year.