Briefing Notes

Briefing Note 83 - How could the effect of rises in SPa be mitigated for the most vulnerable?

State Pension age increases can have an impact on people who are unable to work longer for reasons such as caring responsibilities or disability, especially when they have had time on low earnings or out of the labour market and are more dependent on State Pension income in retirement. 

This Briefing Note sets out the history of State Pension age (SPa), explores current and future increases to SPa, and examines the implications of some potential policies which could mitigate the effects of SPa increases on vulnerable people. The mitigations discussed include:

• Allowing people with more than 45 years of NI contributions to receive their State Pension early and unreduced
• Delinking Penion Credit and SPa
• Allowing early access to reduced State Pension
• Allowing unreduced early access to people with disabilities, and people with caring responsibilities. 

This Briefing Note was sponsored by Age UK. The PPI is grateful to Age UK for their support in producing this note.