Jade Wright

A petition calling for the UK State Pension to be paid universally from age 60 and increased to the equivalent of 48 hours at the National Living Wage closed with 7,792 signatures, below the 10,000 needed for a government response and far short of the 100,000 required for parliamentary debate. The proposal would reverse scheduled increases in the State Pension age from 66 to 67 and later 68. Pension expert Derence Lee also warned that frozen tax thresholds could cause income tax to offset some future pension increases, particularly for retirees with limited other income.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham signaled that the long‑frozen £12,570 personal allowance may be reviewed in the Autumn Budget, though he emphasized no commitment has been made. Comments made during a visit to Bath suggested tax thresholds will be examined alongside broader fiscal decisions as the government responds to voter concerns about cost‑of‑living pressures. Burnham also confirmed the nationwide £2 bus fare cap will continue through 2027 with £454 million in government funding, reversing the planned increase and aiming to ease transport costs for regular passengers.

HMRC has updated MPs on a long-standing State Pension tax error affecting up to 1.4 million pensioners, linked to incorrect pension data used in tax calculations since 2010. The department is working to implement a permanent fix and will amend affected tax records for the 2025–26 tax year. It has not yet provided a method for individuals to confirm whether they are owed refunds, but further guidance is expected once HMRC completes its review. Pensioners concerned about their tax status can check their most recent tax calculations for discrepancies, with potential refunds varying based on individual circumstances.