The Work and Pensions Committee (WPC) has urged the government to introduce additional financial support for people unable to work as the state pension age (SPA) rises to 67, warning that waiting until the government's review concludes in 2029 would be "too late" for those affected.

In a letter to Pensions Minister, Torsten Bell, WPC chair, Debbie Abrahams, reiterated the committee's concerns that the increase in SPA would disproportionately affect people unable to remain in employment due to ill-health, disability or caring responsibilities.

The letter followed the government's response to the committee's Transition to State Pension age report, which recommended additional social security support for people facing financial hardship in the years approaching retirement.

In particular, the committee called on the government to consult on increasing Universal Credit (UC) payments for people in the year before SPA, aiming to introduce additional support by the end of 2026.

However, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said a "broader range of options must be considered", indicating it would assess the issue alongside the ongoing statutory SPA review, due to conclude by March 2029.

The WPC warned that this timetable would leave those affected by the increase to 67 without timely support.

"Our concern was specifically for people reaching 66 in the next few years, as the SPA rises to 67," the committee stated.

"For them, policy outcomes from a review in 2029 will simply come too late."

The committee highlighted evidence that the previous increase in SPA, from 65 to 66 between 2018 and 2020, had caused poverty rates among 65-year-olds to more than double.

It noted that raising the age to 67 could have an even greater impact, especially given deteriorating health outcomes among older people.

Indeed, the proportion of people aged 60 to 64 reporting a work-limiting health condition has increased from 28 per cent to 31 per cent, while healthy life expectancy has declined and inequalities between the most and least deprived areas have widened.

The WPC therefore questioned whether the existing working-age benefits system provided adequate support for those unable to remain in employment while waiting longer for their state pension.

It also asked what prevented the DWP from introducing interim financial support while the wider review was underway, and whether the government would assess the potential impact of the SPA increase on NHS and social care costs.

The committee challenged the government's emphasis on employment support for older workers, arguing that extending working lives would not be realistic for everyone.

"Offering the prospect of a job to someone in the year before SPA, who has been waiting years for a hip, knee or cataract replacement, is impractical and cruel," it argued.

"Additional social security support will be essential until people can get the elective care they need."

The committee also pressed the government to clarify when it would publish Dr Suzy Morrissey's independent review of the SPA.

It had previously recommended publishing it by July 2026 to allow public scrutiny and debate ahead of decisions on the future of the SPA, but the government said it would publish the report "in due course".

The WPC called for an independent engagement process to help build an agreement on a new social contract for pensions, and requested a response from Bell by 4 November 2026.

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