The DWP has responded to growing calls for the State Pension to be increased to at least £14,500 a year – with more than 23,000 people now having signed the campaign.
The petition, created by Richard Sobey MBE, calls for the minimum State Pension to be brought into line with the National Minimum Wage for under-18s by the Department of Work and Pensions.
It has attracted 23,355 signatures and remains open until January 28, 2027. If it reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.
The campaign argues that pensioners who have spent decades paying National Insurance should not receive less than the minimum amount younger workers can earn.
Sobey says: "The National Living Wage age for 21+ is now £23,132 (35 hour week; 52 week year). Even the National Minimum Wage for under 18's is £14,560 (same basis). My full New State Pension is only £12,564 after working for a lifetime."
The official full rate of the new State Pension for 2026/27 is £241.30 a week, equivalent to £12,547.60 over 52 weeks. It rose from £230.25 a week in 2025/26 under the Triple Lock.
How much is the minimum wage?
The current National Minimum Wage rates are also higher than those quoted in the original petition. From April 2026, workers aged 16 and 17 receive at least £8 an hour, while the rate for 18 to 20-year-olds is £10.85 an hour. The National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour.
At 35 hours a week for 52 weeks, the current under-18 rate works out at £14,560 a year, while the 18-to-20 rate works out at £19,747 a year.
Sobey says the comparison highlights what he believes is a gap between the minimum income available to workers and the income provided by the State Pension.
He says: "I believe for 65+ a minimum UK standard of living is £14,500 and the State Pension should match this."
The petition also argues that the UK State Pension compares poorly with pension systems elsewhere in Europe, although the Government has rejected making a direct comparison between the State Pension and minimum wage.
Sobey says: "The full New State Pension lags well behind those in Europe (UK only 13th of 28). Even an apprentice, or under 18 worker, is now legislated to earn a salary of at least £14,560. For 18 to 20 year old workers this National Minimum Wage equates to £19,747 per annum."
He adds: "For those who have worked and paid NI and taxes all their lives, we believe a full State Pension of £12,564 is just not fair and equitable and the State Pension should be at least the £14,500 necessary for a minimum standard of living for retirees."
Government rejects State Pension minimum wage demand
The Government has responded, confirming that it has no plans to make the State Pension equal to the National Minimum Wage for under-18s.
It said the full new State Pension had risen to £241.30 a week following an increase in line with average earnings.
The Government also pointed to its commitment to the Triple Lock, under which the State Pension is increased each year by whichever is highest of earnings growth, inflation or 2.5%.
The Government said: "The State Pension and the National Minimum Wage have different purposes, and a direct comparison cannot be drawn."
It added that the National Minimum Wage is designed to protect young and low-income workers and provide an incentive to work.
The Government also highlighted other support available to pensioners, including Pension Credit, Winter Fuel Payments, the Warm Home Discount and Housing Benefit.
It said the full new State Pension is intended to provide a foundation for retirement income alongside workplace and private pensions.
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Petition remains open
Despite the Government response, the petition is still open and can continue to gather signatures until January 28, 2027.
It would need to gain almost 77,000 more signatures to reach the 100,000 threshold for consideration for debate in Parliament.
The Government has also pointed to the recently launched Pensions Commission, which is intended to consider how the pensions system should operate in the decades ahead.
For people on low incomes, the Government says Pension Credit can provide additional support. The current standard minimum guarantee is £227.10 a week for a single person and £346.60 for a couple, before any additional amounts that may apply.
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