31 October 2025
Club Vita responded to the State Pension Age Review Consultation:
The State Pension is a vital component of retirement income in the UK, serving both as a safety net against poverty and as a supplement to private savings. Its sustainability depends on balancing affordability, fairness, and certainty for current and future generations of retirees. Club Vita advocates for a clear, long-term roadmap for State Pension age increases as opposed to an Automatic Adjustment Mechanism. Under the Government’s existing 2:1 approach – reflecting their view that for every 2 years of adult life up to State Pension age, individuals should spend a maximum of 1 year in receipt of State Pension – this could be as simple as increasing State Pension age by one year per decade. This would provide predictability for all working generations and avoid the volatility of an Automatic Adjustment Mechanism. This roadmap should be supported by monitoring three key drivers: life expectancy, average working years, and population health, particularly among disadvantaged groups of society, to ensure the safety net remains effective.
Intergenerational fairness requires reciprocity between contributions and benefits, transparency, and certainty. Intragenerational inequalities, where affluent pensioners live longer and benefit more, remain a challenge. Mechanisms such as ill-health early retirement and better communication on deferral options could help mitigate these disparities. Improving population health is identified as the most powerful lever for sustainability, delivering fiscal, social, and economic benefits beyond pensions.
Download the full report here