The campaign, created by Denver Johnson, sought a substantial change to the way the State Pension is accessed and calculated. It argued that payments should be available as a right to everyone aged 60 and over, including expatriates, while the current State Pension age continues to rise and remains subject to regular government review.
What the Petition Asked the Government to Change
According to the official UK Parliament petitions website, the campaign asked the Government to make the State Pension available from age 60 and increase it to the equivalent of 48 hours a week at the National Living Wage. From April 2026, that calculation would produce a universal State Pension of £610.08 per week, or about £31,724.16 a year.
The petition said the proposed pension should apply to all eligible people aged 60 and above, including those living abroad. Its wording argued that current government policy appeared to be moving towards making the State Pension a benefit that was not paid to everyone while also increasing the age at which people could qualify.
The campaign stated: “We want reforms to the State Pension, so that it is available to all including expatriates, from age 60, and linked to the National Living Wage, for security.”
According to the Kidderminster Shuttle, more than 5,000 people had backed the petition by 11 August, with campaigners arguing that the State Pension should provide greater financial security for older people. The final figure recorded on the parliamentary petition page was 7,792 signatures.
The petition was published on 10 February 2026 and remained open for six months. Under the parliamentary petitions system, a petition reaching 10,000 signatures receives a Government response, while one reaching 100,000 signatures is considered for debate in Parliament. This campaign did not reach either threshold before it closed.
The State Pension Age Remains under Review
The proposal appeared against a backdrop of continuing debate over the age at which people can begin receiving the State Pension. According to GOV.UK, a person’s State Pension age is the earliest age at which they can start receiving the payment, and it may differ from the age at which they can access a workplace or personal pension.
The Government’s online State Pension age service allows people to check when they will reach State Pension age, their Pension Credit qualifying age and when they may become eligible for free bus travel. GOV.UK also states that the State Pension age is regularly reviewed, meaning the result shown by the tool may change in future.
The Government has also launched its third review of the State Pension age. The existing system does not require people to stop working when they reach State Pension age, and the former default retirement age of 65 no longer exists.
The petition therefore focused not only on the amount paid but also on the point at which access begins. Its proposed alternative was straightforward: eligibility from age 60, a universal entitlement including expatriates, and payments tied directly to the National Living Wage.
