A new online petition is calling for the UK Government to ‘abolish’ the Basic State Pension and move everyone to the New State Pension.

A new online petition is urging the UK Government to consider ‘abolishing’ the Basic State Pension and moving all 8.1 million pensioners on that system to the New State Pension. The Basic State Pension is the system that applied to those who reached retirement age 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, nearly 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 the final piece of the Triple Lock puzzle was put in place by the ONS on Wednesday. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) figure for September was 3.8 per cent, which means the New and Basic State Pensions will rise under the earnings growth measure of 4.8 per cent.

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 £574 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 Labour Government confirmed earlier this year that the Personal Allowance will remain frozen at £12,570 until April 2028.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will confirm the annual uprating at the Autumn Budget on November 26. An uprating of 4.8 per cent on the current State Pension would see people receive the following amounts.

Full New State Pension

  • Weekly: £241.30 (from £230.25)
  • Four-weekly pay period: £965.20
  • Annual amount: £12,547

Full Basic State Pension

  • Weekly: £184.90 (from £176.45)
  • Four-weekly pay period: £739.60
  • Annual amount: £9,614

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