The UK Government is being urged to move everyone to the New State Pension and increase the weekly payment rates.
Pension Credit – Could you or someone you know be eligible?
A new online petition is urging the UK Government to consider ‘abolishing’ the Basic State Pension and move all 8.1 million pensioners on that system to the New State Pension. The Basic State Pension is paid to those who reached the official age of retirement before April 6, 2016.
Petition creator Michael Thompson is also calling for the New State Pension to increase to “a good percentage of average earnings”. He highlighted how data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicates that Britain’s average weekly earnings (AWE) were estimated at £722 in March 2025.
The full New State Pension is currently worth £230.25 per week, some £921 every four-week payment period. Under the e-petition proposals, some 13 million pensioners would receive £722 per week, or £2,888 every month.
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The ‘Increase New State Pension and pay to all, abolish the old Basic State Pension’ petition has been posted on the Petitions Parliament website. At 10,000 signatures of support it would be entitled to a written response from the UK Government.
The petition states: “We think the government should put all our elderly onto the New State Pension, increase the New State Pension to a good percentage of average earnings and abolish the old ‘Basic State Pension’.
“We believe those on the Basic State Pension should be paid the difference accrued, since the New State Pension’s introduction, between the Basic State Pension and New State Pension.
“Britain’s basic State Pension is currently £176.45 per week. Britain’s New State Pension is currently £230.25 a week.
“Britain’s average weekly earnings (AWE) were estimated at £722 in March 2025, by the Office for National Statistics.”
State Pension uprating 2026/27
Millions of older people are on track for a big State Pension pay rise next April after Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed payments of the New and Basic State Pension will rise by 4.8 per cent, while additional elements will increase by 3.8 per cent, honouring the Triple Lock agreement.
Under the Triple Lock the New and Basic State Pensions increase each year in-line with whichever is the highest between the average annual earnings growth from May to July (4.8%), CPI inflation rate in the year to September (3.8%), or 2.5 per cent. Additional State Pension elements and deferred State Pensions rise each year with the September CPI figure.
An increase of 4.8 per cent will see those on the full New State Pension receive £241.30 per week, while those on the maximum Basic State Pension would receive £184.90 per week.
It’s important to remember that the amount of State Pension someone receives depends on their National Insurance contributions. To receive the full New State Pension you need around 35 years’ worth, but this may differ if you were ‘contracted out’.
The full New State Pension will increase by around £575 from April 2026 – lifting it to £12,547 per year. The uprating leaves just £36 before the Personal Allowance income threshold of £12,570 is exceeded which would see more pensioners pay tax in retirement.
The Chancellor also confirmed the freeze on the Personal Allowance will be extended until April 2031.
Full New State PensionWeekly: £241.30 (from £230.25)Four-weekly pay period: £965.20Annual amount: £12,547Full Basic State PensionWeekly: £184.90 (from £176.45)Four-weekly pay period: £739.60Annual amount: £9,614
A full list of the additional payment elements can be found on GOV.UK.
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