Emma Harris, 52, says she is physically unable to continue working until 70 – and she doesn’t have sufficient private pension savings to cover the gap

Emma Harris is worried about the state pension age rising. She says working until 70 does not feel feasible, but fears that is when she may have to work until, to get the payment.

In the UK, people can currently retire and begin claiming the state pension from age 66. However, this is set to rise to 67 from April 2026, and then to 68 from April 2044.

But the public expects a faster rise. New research from Standard Life reveals that a third of people now expect the state pension age to hit at least 70 by 2030.

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For Harris, 52, from North Somerset, that scenario is deeply worrying. She says such a retirement age wouldn’t be “realistic” for her because she has various physical health conditions.

Speaking to The i Paper, she said: “It scares me to think I will have to work until I’m 70, especially as both of my parents passed away before they reached retirement age.”

Standard Life’s report reveals that confidence in the system is waning as just 51 per cent of people believe the state pension – currently £230.25 per week for the full new rate and £176.45 for the full basic rate – will be available for everyone by the time they retire.

Without it, Harris admits she would struggle. Other than a small pension through her employer, she has no private retirement savings.

The mother-of-two, who works in housekeeping, added: “Being a single parent, the money is always allocated for daily essentials.”

The research reflects a wider problem – that just 15 per cent of people prioritise pension savings, and nearly one in five say they don’t have a pension at all. More than half – 53 per cent, up from 51 per cent in 2024 – say they worry they’re not saving enough for later life.

The state pension will rise by 4.8 per cent in April under the triple lock mechanism – taking the annual total to £12,547.60.

But that increase will push the cost of the payment up by around £7bn, to £152.6bn a year.

The triple lock guarantees that the state pension rises each year by whichever is highest out of inflation, average wage growth, or 2.5 per cent.

While the upcoming increase is welcome news for many, future rises under the policy remain uncertain.

Harris, for one, supports the rise, but remains concerned. She said: “I can’t see how anyone can solely live off the state pension.”

She’s not alone in her concern. The research found that only 29 per cent of people believe the triple lock will still exist when they reach retirement.

Gen X – those currently aged 45 to 60 – are particularly doubtful, with just 21 per cent expecting the policy to survive long term.

Catherine Foot, director of the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement, said the findings highlight how “uncertain people feel about their financial futures”.

She said: “While raising the state pension age further and faster than currently planned would impact everyone, it’s clear that the impact wouldn’t be felt equally, given the wide variations we see in life expectancy across the country.

“In some parts of the UK, people are more likely to stop working earlier due to health conditions, disabilities or caring responsibilities – meaning they may struggle to reach the age at which the benefit becomes available.

“These structural inequalities deserve close attention in the current independent review of the state pension age and future policy debates that follow it.”

Standard Life’s analysis of ONS life expectancy figures shows that the number of years people can expect to receive state pension payments varies significantly across the UK.

For example, men in Blackpool can expect to receive the pension for around 6.1 years on average, compared to 19.5 years for men in Kensington and Chelsea. For women, the figures are 11.5 years and 19.5 years respectively.

Foot said the revival of the Independent Pensions Commission is a chance to rethink the entire system.

She continued: “Two decades ago, the Commission reshaped retirement saving through auto-enrolment; today, we need similarly bold thinking to ensure the state pension is considered alongside private pension provision and remains both sustainable and fair.

“Creating a retirement system that is equitable, adaptable and trusted will take coordinated action across Government, employers, the pensions industry and individuals themselves.

“The good news is that we now have the chance to do that – and rebuild confidence in retirement for the decades ahead.”